Exploring the diffusion of gambling information impact on consumer’s behaviours and to design a mitigating model to address harmful gambling in Namibia

Namibia, a nation grappling with poverty and unemployment, is faced with the rapid increase of gambling advertisements throughout various platforms and spreading from one person to another.

Opinions on gambling vary in Namibian societies, with limited information among consumers, particularly regarding post-COVID-19 impacts. Information about big winnings in sports betting saturates Namibia's media, yet its influence on consumer behaviour remains unexplored. 

This empirical project, led by the University of Namibia, will investigate factors influencing gambling behaviours and how the advertisements, messages, and information that are shared impact an individual’s behaviours in gambling, as well as how gambling affects individual consumers.

Project objectives:

1. Exploring factors contributing to or influencing gambling patterns and activities.
2. Identify and assess available gambling information, messages and advertising techniques used to promote gambling activities.
3. Establish strategies to identify how gambling information, advertising, and messages are disseminated or diffused from person to person.
4. Explore the impact of the disseminated information/knowledge in gambling consumers' behaviours. 
5. Design a model to mitigate risky gambling behaviour.
6. Pilot to test the designed prototype model.
7. Review and implement.

Project team:

• Dr Selma Iilonga

  Principal Investigator, University of Namibia, Library and Information Services Unit.
• Dr Albert Shikongo

  Co-Investigator, University of Namibia, Department of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.
• Ms. Jacobina Mwiiyale

  Co-Investigator, University of Namibia, Library and Information Services Unit.

The methodology:

The project has recruited 16 enumerators, 4 from each of the participating regions of Namibia (Khomas, Zambezi, Erongo, and Oshana).

The research study is collecting data from gambling and betting houses/shops. The team are using a blended method approach of:

• quantitative questionnaires by enumerators
• qualitative semi-structured interviews
• and qualitative covert observation by project researchers.

This will be backed by the mathematical modelling demonstrating the impact of gambling information on consumers' behaviours. 

The project's ethical clearance is obtained from the University of Namibia, and permissions are granted from the Chief Regional Officers of the four regions.

Pictures were taken whilst in the field collecting data in February and March 2024.