• Matete Irene’s life spiraled out of control in 2022 when a gambling addiction led her to financial ruin and despair
• From selling housewares to dodging relentless debt collectors, she hit rock bottom and was forced to return to the village
• Fortunately for her, she had supportive friends and family members who helped her find reconciliation

In 2022, Matete Irene’s life spiraled out of control, even the imaginable simple things like relationships.

Her attempts to stabilize her life included exploring questionable avenues, such as trying to maintain a relationship with an older man, to no avail.

How did Irene sink into gambling addiction?

During this difficult phase, Irene was introduced to betting by a friend, Ella, an experienced gambler who seemed to have mastered the craft.

“Her full-time job was betting. She bet on football and visited casinos when she had extra money,” Irene said in a post on social media.

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Initially, Irene used Ella’s gaming account to learn the tricks and started small with bets as low as 50 shillings.

Her betting soon escalated as the wins brought momentum while the losses drove her deeper into the cycle of trying to get her money back.

How betting drove Irene to financial despair

What started as a seemingly harmless pastime turned into a full-blown addiction.

She spent her money after the breakup and became dependent solely on betting for income.

“I started losing more than I won,” Irene admitted.

As the losses mounted, Irene and Ella turned to mobile loans appsaccumulating debts they could not repay, blinded by their reckless lives.

Irene fell to the bottom

In their desperation to sustain their addiction, the two friends began selling their belongings.

Coffee tables, refrigerators, carpets and even televisions were sold in hopes of winning enough to replace everything.

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“We were convinced that hitting a jackpot or winning a multibet would solve all our problems,” she said.

In the following months, they could no longer afford rent, and local kiosks refused to lend them food due to unpaid debts.

Irene returned to the village

Faced with mounting debts and the looming threat of homelessness, Irene made the difficult decision to leave Nairobi and return to her villages.

In the village, she found support from friends and family who helped her clear some debts, while others offered her employment opportunities.

Slowly, she began to rebuild her life, a journey that came with hard-earned wisdom.

“Some people will always hold your hand no matter how much you move. This world is a small village – learn to live well with everyone,” she advised.

Irene warned against betting

Something for comment, Irene told me TUKO.co.ke that poverty was the wake-up call she needed to change.

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She revealed that the embarrassment of moving in with relatives after selling everything was her turning point.

Irene also issued a warning to others lured by the allure of betting.

“I pray you don’t get to the stage I did. The sooner you stop, the better.”

Today, Irene is on the road to recovery, working to regain stability and rebuild trust with those she once let down.

Kenyan man seeks advice on gambling addiction

In an almost similar case, a Kenyan man sought counseling and expressed concern about his betting and its impact on his finances and family life.

The 31-year-old man revealed that he earns KSh 130,000 but losing about KSh 70,000 in betting every month.

He revealed that his wife is expecting their first child, and he was worried that he would let the young family down because of his addiction.

Source: TUKO.co.ke