Malawi Gaming Board has set up efforts to help citizens with proper understanding of healthy ways of gambling and betting.

Miriam Kumbuyo, Board of Public Relations and Licensing Manager said gambling situations are critical since people have started taking gambling as their source of income which is very dangerous to their lives.

Miriam made the remarks on Thursday during a media training in Lilongwe.

She said that betting and other forms of gambling should be taken for entertainment purposes and not business as most people do.

“It is worrisome to see individuals waking up in the morning and going to betting shops and spend the whole day there, people should not take betting as a business,” Kumbuyo said.

She continued to say that taking gambling as a business will lead to depression and reduce standards of living.

“There is no formula that will ascertain everyday winning, having in mind that betting is a game of chance”, she explained

On the matter of people who are addicted to gambling she said they have partnered with Saint John of God Rehabilitation Centre to offer assistance to the addicts.

Commenting on the issue, Tabitha Dzoole, Addiction Coordinator at Saint John of God explains the situation as critical in the country since adolescents and youth are the majority of groups addicted to the gambling life style because some of them does not have anything to keep them busy.

“Productive citizens are being lost because they are being rendered dysfunctional due to gambling,” she said.

Malawi Gaming Board in partinership with their institution has simplified the process of identifying gambling addicts since people can report to the the board directly.

The media training was organised with an aim of equipping journalists with knowledge and skills of legal gambling and betting.