In the last few years, mobile sports betting has exploded, turning the world into a kind of 24-hour casino. Anyone can place bets on anything at any time from the phone in their pocket.

For most people, the first bet rarely feels dangerous. It begins as a quick game of chance on a phone where numbers climb or a virtual plane takes off. But for a gambling addict, what begins as harmless entertainment quietly reshapes the brain, affecting their decision making capabilities, increasing their appetite for risks and altering their ability to process losses.

Clinical psychologist Linus Oyugi says this is not accidental.

“Gambling hijacks the brain’s reward system, which makes losses feel impossible to accept,” he says.

This is compounded by what experts call the gambler’s fallacy, where people wrongly believe that they can predict future probabilities based on past occurrences.

“As hunters and gatherers, our forefathers lived by chance. Their whole lives were a gamble. Sometimes they would come home with a whole animal for food, and other times they would return from the hunt empty-handed. That is how far gambling goes,” Dr Oyugi says, adding that the term ‘gambling addict’ is problematic, as it implies that there is a safe way of gambling.

“All gamblers are addicts. It is only a matter of time before those we call professional or casual gamblers show signs of addiction.”

Signs of addiction

So, what does addiction look like?

“They mimic signs of substance abuse. If you see someone placing bets all the time, even if it affects other relationships or other aspects of their lives, that person is addicted. Even if they lose, they will continue betting or increasing stakes, believing that they can recover the lost money,” says Dr Oyugi.

Dr Linus Oyugi, a clinical psychologist at Chiromo Hospital Group, during an interview on gambling addiction at the facility in Upper Hill Medical Centre in Nairobi on March 18, 2026. He discussed the psychological impact of gambling addiction and shared strategies for prevention, intervention, and recovery.

Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group

This is called chasing losses.

“They constantly plan the next gamble and spend most of their time thinking about how to get money. They may also lie about their finances to the point of getting into serious debt or even bankruptcy, and prioritise gambling over family or work. When they try to stop, they often feel restless, anxious or irritable, and these are withdrawal symptoms that cause them to bet again. Often, they will hide their behaviour from family, friends or even therapists,” he explains.

Peak of addiction

At the peak of addiction, Chris Kimaru, an addiction counsellor and director of Resolution Wellness Centre, a rehabilitation facility, says gamblers can act in strange ways

“That person can borrow money from anybody, including from an Uber driver they have known for less than an hour. They can even borrow from a stranger. They can sell even the very mattress they sleep on. And once they get money, even if it is Sh20, they become very excited and mmediately go to the betting app,” says Mr Kimaru.

He adds, “Even if they win a significant amount, say Sh100,000, they will withdraw just a small amount, like Sh10,000, then reinvest the rest in betting because they want more and more of the dopamine. That is why you hear stories of people who won a lot of money at night but by morning they had nothing.”

The dopamine effect

At the centre of this behaviour is dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” hormone.

“It affects the front part of your brain, also known as the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making. The act of placing a bet activates the brain's reward system, causing dopamine to be released in very high amounts. As they continue betting, their tolerance increases, so they tend to place even riskier bets to achieve the same pleasure,” says Dr Oyugi.

He adds that frequent gambling can make the brain less sensitive to dopamine, forcing the individual to take greater risks to get the same thrill.

What fuels the addiction

Technology has played a major role in fueling the vice.

“Smartphones, by themselves, are addictive, and most of us are addicted to smartphones in one way or another. Now imagine pairing the phone with an app that is fast, repetitive and highly engaging…you are definitely likely to end up with a few addicts.”

Dr Oyugi notes that gambling has been normalised, and that many individuals begin with small, seemingly harmless bets but progress to more problematic patterns.

Four gambling addiction stages

Research shows that there are four stages of gambling addiction: the winning stage, the losing stage, the frustration stage, and the hopelessness stage.

In the last two stages, individuals often experienced severe financial losses and depression, which often leads them to substance use, severed relationships and problems at work.

“Once someone reaches the frustration stage, they have lost significant amounts and they cannot stop. So, to cope, many of them turn to other behavioural addictions such as masturbation and pornography as a distraction. In the final stage, most victims consider suicide as they are helpless and see no end in sight,” says Mr Kimaru.

Read: Is forex trading and crypto legit or just gambling with extra steps?

Treatment options

So, what treatment options are available for gambling addicts?

“Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the best path to recovery. Gamblers can get into a treatment facility where they will be taken through the 12 steps of recovery, similar to what all other addicts go through. In the initial stages, depending on the severity of the addiction, it may be necessary to administer medications like antidepressants or mood stabilisers,” Dr Oyugi says.

Family and friends of problem gamblers should understand that gambling addiction is not an indication of lack of discipline or self-control.

“Part of the reason many problem gamblers die by suicide is because we have not understood that gambling is an addiction just like any other so they rarely seek help. In fact, they often don’t realise they have a problem until it is too late,” notes Dr Oyugi.

His message to those struggling with pathological gambling?

“You lose the battle when you try to do it alone, and you win it by admitting you have a problem and seeking help. You are not meant to do it alone,” he says.

→ colilo@ke.nationmedia.com