Dar es Salaam. In the heart of Mwandege Magengeni, Tanzania, a seemingly innocuous gaming station sits a stone’s throw from a mosque.
Inside, a troubling scene unfolds: children and adults alike huddle around slot machines, chasing the illusion of quick cash.
This location, in Mkuranga District, exemplifies the disturbing trend of gaming stations flouting regulations and endangering young people.
The place in Mkuranga District is one of the gaming stations that does not restrict people from playing in the slot machine regardless of their age.
As one man hits the buttons of the slot machine, two boys aged between 10 and 15 are sitting, facing the screen of the slot machine and closely following the outcome of the money game.
“If it’s me, I would have gone home with a full pocket,” shouted one of the boys after the man won coins worth Sh4,000 and wanted to continue gambling.
After the interview, the children revealed that they had been playing in the slot machine several times, using the money given by parents to spend during school hours.
“I have won several times,” said one of the boys.
The Citizen reporter wanted to know more about the boys who gambled in the slot machines even though the law restricts not only playing but also their presence in such a place, and here is a brief part of the conversation.
Reporter: Why do you like gambling?
Boy: We want more money to spend at school.
Reporter: What if your father finds you here because you are not allowed to do this?
Boy: My father doesn’t live here.
Reporter: Who do you live with?
Boy: I live with my mother.
Reporter: What if she finds you here?
Boy: She doesn’t usually come near this place.
Reporter: Where do you get the money for gambling?
Boy: We are usually given money to spend at school, and that’s our capital.
Inside, a troubling scene unfolds: children and adults alike huddle around slot machines, chasing the illusion of quick cash.
The slot machine supervisor is fairly young, raising curiosity to know if he is eligible to handle such a business. “I’m here temporarily, sitting for my brother. It is owned by a Chinese, but he is in charge of the slot machine,” said the young man, who claimed to be 17 years old.
The Mwandege scenario is a typical sample of the situation in many areas of Dar es Salaam and neighbouring suburbs that experience rapid growth in the gaming industry. The slot machines, in particular, are widely spreading in the city neighbourhoods with significant violations of the laws and regulations, posing a threat of addiction among the young generation, which is now being lured into the games to generate quick money.
An independent survey conducted in Mwandege, Buguruni, Temeke, Manzese, and Tabata areas of the city revealed the rampancy of the slot machines commonly known as “Dubu” in Swahili.
In areas like Buguruni, along Mandela Road, detecting the machines during the day is difficult. Still, the machines are displayed along the service road, near the overpass bridge, in the evening.
Others are in retail shops where children can easily access the machines. Martin Bernard, 14, of the Tabata area, said he is attracted by his friends making money through betting.
“I thought I could do the same to have more cash. They would talk about the bets they placed and the winnings they got, and it made me curious. So, I wanted to experience that excitement and buy things without having to ask my parents,” he said. Manzese-based Mandela Onesmo, 12, said he also bets on sports matches to have more money to buy snacks and toys his parents don’t usually give.
“Sometimes, I see other kids at school buying tasty snacks, and I feel left out,” he said.
Ibrahim Mwenda, 15, also from Manzese, said he was lured by friends before getting interested.
“I just wanted to see if I could make some quick cash like my friends did, but I just won only thrice in the countless bets I put on betting applications,” he said.
Gaming is allowed in Tanzania, but there are restrictions on the age of participants, registration or licensing, and location of the gaming premises.
Section 70 of the Gaming Act 2003 restricts children under the age of 18 from not only participating in gambling but also appearing in a place where any form of gaming activity is taking place.
“A person shall not permit or cause a person of the age below eighteen years to (a) linger in the gaming premises; (b) sit on a chair or be present at a gaming table, slot machine, or other area in which gaming is conducted; or (c) participate, play, be allowed to play, place wagers, or collect winnings, whether personally or through an agent, in or from any gaming activity,” the law states.
“Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section commits an offence and, on conviction, shall be liable to a fine of not less than Sh1 million but not exceeding Sh5 million, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both,” it adds.
However, the situation is different as the children participate despite the presence of the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), which is legally responsible for overseeing, monitoring, and regulating the conduct of gaming activities in the country.
The board and some operators say slot machines that do not observe the laws mostly operate illegally.
The board’s director general, Mr James Mbalwe, said violations of license conditions, illegal operations, and the participation of children are among the challenges that the agency is working on.
“Though the law prohibits children from participating in gaming activities, rogue operators prey on the young generation,” said Mr Mbalwe, adding that the board has been conducting impromptu inspections to arrest the violators.
When informed about the slot machine allowing children to gamble, Mr Mbalwe promised to take action. Some officials from the board called back to know the specific location and description of the scenario, promising to also inspect the site and take action.
However, almost a month later, it’s business as usual at the gambling room. The board regulates different forms of gaming, like casinos, lotteries, slot machines, sports betting, and other gaming-related activities. The board also registers gaming premises that are not allowed to be close to prayer houses, schools, restricted areas or areas that are not easily accessible.
Last year, the board temporarily halted the issuance of slot machine licenses to the new applicants as it claimed to be setting up the Electronic Monitoring System intended to manage slot machine operations.
The window would also be used to address illegal slot machine operations that have “adversely affected the image of the gaming industry.”
Until May this year, the license issuance for slot machines had not yet resumed.
Some gaming operators also blame illegal operators who spoil the industry’s image.
“Licensed operators normally know that they are responsible for protecting children from gaming,” said the country operations manager of the global sports betting firm Betway, Mr Jimmy Kennedy.
“In most cases, illegal operators are failing us,” said Mr Kennedy who is the former chairman of the Sports Betting Association in Tanzania.
According to him, operators go through strict vetting and are always subjected to stern conditions before acquiring an operational license.
“For an operator who goes through the legal procedures to get licensed, they cannot risk deregistration by allowing children to participate,” added Mr Kennedy.
The police gender desk, which is responsible for dealing with gender-based and child abuse, acknowledges the problem of child gambling, asking parents and community members to play their guiding roles.The coordinator of the Amana One Stop Centre, which deals with such cases, Inspector Christina Onyango, said betting among children is a bigger problem that requires joint efforts from law enforcers, parents and the community as a whole.
“It’s a big problem that causes some children to fail to attend school. We normally arrest the operators of the slot machines and charge them in court, but mind you, these incidents are done in hiding,” said Dr Onyango.
“Our children are getting spoiled,” she said, adding that community members are supposed to report such cases to the police for further action. According to her, parents are supposed to closely follow up on their children’s movements to early notice any challenges.
According to the gaming board, 91 companies were registered to operate different gaming activities by June 2023. In 2022/23, the board planned to issue 7,697 licenses, including 1,923 new and 5,774 renewed licenses, according to the budget speech of the Minister for Finance for 2023/24 tabled last year.
However, by April 2023, the board had issued 8,778 licenses, including 3,658 new ones.
The number is expected to rise to 11,880 licenses in 2023/24, the Minister for Finance, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, stated.
The sector, which employs about 25,000 people, according to the board, has also increased its contribution to government revenue by 407.1 percent between 2016/17 and 2022/23 to reach Sh170.4 billion.