Gambling is light entertainment for some, but for 48-year-old City resident Jason Kauhondamwa, a three-decade addiction has left him so broken he is now pleading to be legally banned from entering any casino.

Clearly agitated, shaky, and showing classic signs of severe withdrawal, Jason Kauhondamwa has made repeated, desperate visits to the NBC headquarters on Cullinan Street, pleading for the public to hear his story. 

His request is simple: he wants gambling operators to legally ban him from their premises, admitting he can no longer control the addiction on his own.

"I came across Section 77 of the Gaming and Entertainment Act, which says a problem gambler can apply to the Board to be banned from gambling. So I went to the Gambling Board, collected the form, filled it in and submitted it. I wanted my gambling to stop because it was out of hand. After nine months, I called them to ask about my application, but they were not helpful."

Kauhondamwa says he first started gambling as a teenager without fully understanding the consequences.

As he grew older and entered the workforce, the reality of his addiction became impossible to ignore.

Instead of saving his salary and building a future, he says much of his income disappeared into gambling machines.

On some days, he lost thousands of dollars in just a few hours.

Now, he says the only way to protect himself is to be legally prevented from gambling.

"What I want now is my name to be treated as the law says. I want my name to be entered into the register of people who are prevented from taking part in gambling activities. I know that I cannot gamble responsibly. If my ID is given to every gambling place, then I will not be able to gamble."

Kauhondamwa says he has tried several times to quit.

In 2018, he managed to stay away from gambling for an entire year.

But in January 2019, he relapsed. After losing 500 dollars in a single day, he stopped again and remained free from gambling for another two years.

When he relapsed once more, he said the addiction returned with even greater force, which he is still struggling with until now.

He has approached the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism as well as the Gambling Board of Namibia for help.
Kauhondamwa also said he was seeking counselling or rehabilitation.