Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic of Internet Gambling in Kenya

Abstract

Gambling is among ancient activities people take part in either for economic endeavor, leisure or both. In recent years, increased gambling legalization globally has resulted in high internet gambling rates in developing countries, including Kenya. More specifically, online gambling has become more popular with IT advancements such as mobile phones, iPhones, laptops, computers and tablets. As technology evolved, online betting became a more popular form of gambling compared to other traditional forms. However, the COVID-19 crisis, which has led to significant constraints on society world-wide, has changed things dramatically. In the course of the pandemic, many countries prohibited public gatherings, making sports events virtually impossible to attend. As a result, the sports-betting industry has been hit hard. This study will be aiming to understand the economic impact of covid-19 pandemic on internet gambling in Kenya. It will target 100 individuals who use the Betika online platform to place their bets. Questionnaires will be used to gather information from them regarding societal effects of internet gambling, the significance of internet gambling in various aspects of the economy as well as the internet gambling trends among bettors in the midst of covid-19 pandemic in Kenya. This information will then be analyzed using SPSS in order to draw conclusions about the economic impact of Covid-19 on internet gambling in Kenya.