NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Smartphones have been hailed in Africa for everything from improving emergency and rural health care to enabling e-commerce and better supply chains. But in some cases, their contribution to improving society may be debatable.

According to the Digital Skills Observatory, a research group funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and run by Mozilla, smartphone usage in Kenya seems to increase the amount of time people spend gambling.

One third of respondents in seven regions of Kenya reported using their phones for “betting.” In some cases, being able to use gambling apps and sites was the primary reason for getting a smartphone.

“Gambling provides them with a (false and risky) promise of better days,” the report (pdf. p 49), released notes.