The Effect of Gambling on Youth Unemployment in Uganda A Case of Rubaga Division Kampala District

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Statement ofthe Problem 5

1.3 Objectives 6

1 .4 Research questions 6

1.5 Scope and limitations 6

1.6 Conceptual framework 7

1 .7 Conceptual Framework 7

CHAPTER rI~wO 9

LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.0 Introduction 9

2. 1 The concept of gambling and youth unemployment 9

2.2 Youth and Development 11

2.3 Adjustments and Sub Cultures 14

2.3,1 Unemployment and Underemployment 14 2.3.2 Crime and Deviant Behavior is

2.3.3 Limited Sports and Recreation Facilities 15

2.3.4 Abuse and Exploitation Is

2.3.5 Limited Participation and Lack of Opportunities 15

2.4 Gambling 16

ChAPTER THREE 19

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19

3. 1 Introduction 19

3.2 Research Site 19

3.3 Research Design 19

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3.4 Target Population . 19

3.5 Sample size and Sampling techniques 20

3.6 Data collection Techniques 20

3.7 Research Instruments 20

3.8 Data analysis and hypothesis testing 21

CHAPTER FOUR 22

DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION 22

4.1 Introduction 22

4.2 Demographic information 22

4.2. 1 Gender distribution of the respondents 22

4.2.1.1 Relationship between gender and gambling 23

4.2.1.2 Youth gender and gambling 24

4.2.2 Age distribution ofthe respondents 25

4.2.2 Relationship between age and gambling 25

4.3 The social-economic characteristics of youth engaging in gambling 26

4.3.1 Marital status distribution for the respondents 26

4.3.2 Nature of family for the respondents 28

4.3.3 Employment status for the respondents 30

4.3.4 Type of employment for the respondents 32

4.3.5 Educational level for the respondents 33

4.4 The extent to which the youth engage in gambling 34

4.4.1 Number oftime the gambling youths visit casino per week 34

4.4 Number ofyears that the gambling youths have been gambling 35

4.4.3 Time ofthe day that the gambling youths visit the casino 36

4.4.4 Amount of money the gambling youths spent per day in the casino 36

4.4.5 The games that the gambling youths play 38

4.5 Whether the youth engage in gambling as a source of income 39

4.5.1 Reason for going to casino 39

4.5.2 Respondents’ goal for engaging in gambling 40

4.5.4 Attitude towards gambling behavior by the youths 40

4.5.5 Statements on the benefits of gambling 43

4.5.6 Negative effects of engaging in gambling 45

4.6 Testing the hypothesis 47

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CHAPTER FIVE .49

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .49

5.1 Introduction 49

5.2 Summary 49

5.3 Conclusion 51

5.4 Recommendations 53

5.5 Areas for further studies 53

REFERENCES 54

QUESTIONNAIRE 57

ABSTRACT

The study was on the influence of unemployment on youth gambling in Kampala, Ugandaand the objectives of the study were to; explore the extent to which the youth engage in gambling, determine whether youth unemployment contributes to gambling, establish whether the youth engage in gambling as a source of income and to determine the social economic characteristics of youth engaging in gambling. The design of the study was a descriptive survey and was undertaken in the casinos in Kampala County. The study targeted two groups of respondents; 60 respondents who were involved in gambling and 60 respondents who never gambled. I)ata was collected through a questionnaire and was analyzed using both descriptive statistics and relationship statistics. The type of descriptive statistics used was frequency distribution tables, while the relationship statistics type used was the Chi—square. The researcher formulated a hypothesis and tested it by usc of both null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis. The study revealed that majority of the respondents visited the casinos twice per week which depict that youths deeply involved in gambling as over 70% of them visited casinos 2-3 times per week. They engage in gambling to try their luck and win money, thus the majority of the youths engage in gambling to generate income. Most o f the respondents involved in gambling had been gambling for 1 —5 years and that they went to the casinos both during daytime and at night which depicts that the youths had been gambling for many years and that gambling was part o f their lifestyle. The study found out that most youth were involved in gambling, however youth unemployment had no influence to their gambling, hence the null hypothesis was accepted and the alternative hypothesis rejected, meaning that there are other factors that contribute to gambling by the youth. The study recommends that the government, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders should come up with policies and strategies to govern gambling business in Uganda to protect the youths from engaging into gambling prematurely and also to sensitize the youths on the effect of gambling and its negative effects. The researcher recommends other studies should be carried on, factors contributing to youth gambling in Uganda and also on the social and economic impact of gaming in Uganda.