ABSTRACT
Football gambling in Africa has gained considerable momentum over the last decade, partly due to increased commercialisation and mediatisation of the sport. Though studies on the adverse effects of gambling are growing, there is little work on the lived experiences of those who live directly and indirectly with problem gamblers, such as spouses, friends, parents, and children. This chapter focuses on the patterns of football gambling on European football in Chinhoyi (a city in northern Zimbabwe), as explained by concerned significant others. The chapter has the twin objectives of qualitatively analysing the scale and patterns of transnational football gambling and assessing the impact of gambling on communities. Semi-structured interviews and observation are employed to gather data. First, the chapter concludes that with increased globalisation and technological advancement, football betting is taking newer sophisticated forms leading to complex impacts on the immediate family members of gamblers. Secondly, gambling in Chinhoyi is more the consequence, not the cause, of broader socioeconomic realities. Finally, the study calls for an inclusive multi-sectoral approach to address the challenges associated with gambling.
