By THANDIWE MOYO –
FORMER Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) president, Noel Nkhoma has called on the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) to intervene in the usage of coins in gambling machines dotted around townships.
The gambling machines, commonly known as bonanza, have become popular in urban areas. They use a bulk of coins and people are able to win as much as K500 at once, which money is kept in the playing box.
However, the continued use of coins has brought fears that bonanza is taking coins out of circulation.

. Nkhoma

Mr Nkhoma said that keeping coins in the machine for a long time was distorting the economy and should not be allowed to continue.
He said the central bank should question the owners of the gambling machines on the legality of operating the bonanza.
Mr Nkhoma said the Bank of Zambia should ensure that the money put in circulation should be used towards the distribution of goods and services through spending in a bid to help the economy.
He urged the central bank to stop anyone from participating in such kind of gambling as it was taking coins away from circulations.
“The owners of bonanzas must find substitutes for gambling instead of using coins,” Mr Nkhoma said. “Storing of coins as a way to trade is illegal and is a drain towards the economy because that is not the purported usage for coins.”
Mr Nkhoma advised members of the public to be entrepreneurs and generate income from noble ventures as that was the only way Zambia could develop.
Efforts to get a comment from the central bank failed by Press time, but a check in selected parts of Lusaka discovered that many people, including pupils, were busy playing bonanza.
Collen Mapenduka, a teacher at Kasamba Basic School in Matero Township, said the trend should be discouraged because many pupils were running away from class to play the game.
Mr Mapenduka said some children reported late for classes because they first had to parade for bonanza in casinos before reporting to school.
“Failure to attend class is a key to failing exams and if pupils come late or abscond class, it will be hard for them to pass,” Mr Mapenduka said.
Lusaka City Council (LCC) acting public relations manager Habeenzu Mulunda said the local authority was not responsible for the registration of the casinos as that was the role of the Ministry of Finance.