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Showing posts with the label betting culture

The Gamble in Everyday Life: How Marketing Turns Us All into Bettors

The other day, I was at Quickmart doing some regular shopping. On the wall, a large poster caught my attention: “Shop & Win. Grand Prize: A Car.” The rules were simple — spend at least 3,000 shillings, and you automatically entered the draw. Almost at the same time, Cadbury was running its own promotion. Buy two of their products, and you stood a chance to win prizes. Now here’s the truth: I don’t even like chocolate, and I rarely buy drinking chocolate. But I found myself at the counter with two Cadbury items in hand. I also spent more than I had planned in Quickmart just to qualify for the draw. All of a sudden, I was no longer shopping for what I needed — I was gambling with my shopping cart. And this is where the realization struck me: nobody is immune. We like to think gambling is only about betting shops, casinos, or shady lottery schemes. But everyday promotions, loyalty cards, and “win big” campaigns are simply socially acceptable versions of the same thing. Promotio...