Some parents in Ilorin, Kwara, have lamented the rate at which children trooped to bet centres to gamble, in the area and the country at large.
The parents expressed their views in separate interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Wednesday.
Mrs. Gbemisola Abiona noted that many children now preferred to hang in bet centres, gambling than being in library reading.
“Children derive more pleasure now in rushing to bet house to stake games than to save money to buy books,” she said.
Mr. Segun Ariyo said children now patronised bet centres than the adults.
“I observe that most bet agents don’t mind the age of the people that patronise them. They only care about the money they make from the business,” he said.
Mrs. Munirat Ahmed said gambling was gradually becoming a norm in the society, adding that it might ruin the future of the children, if not checked.
“Nigerian government must critically look into the increase number of bet centres in the country.
“Most under-age children now hang in bet house to relax. They turn bet centres to their home,” she said.
Mr. Femi Abolaji said most bet centres were being patronised mostly by children.
“Go to many bet centres and see how children are going in and out. Even some schools never witness the kind of crowd patronising gambling centres,” he said.
A parent who pledged anonymity said her son spent almost eight hours in one of the bet centres every weekend.
According to her, the boy most times, forget about food and spends hours in a bet centre, adding that on one occasion, she has to go the centre to shout on him for him to leave the place.
“He spent good eight hours there before I went and disgraced him,” she said.
Mrs. Folusho Awe called on the Federal government to be strict on bet agents who allowed under age to gamble and legislate a law that would ban children from gambling.
Awe advised parents to monitor the movement of their children, with a view to dissuading them from patronising bet centres or gambling.