Inside Weydow’s Struggle: How Online Gambling Is Tearing Families Apart on the Outskirts of Mogadishu

On the outskirts of Mogadishu, in the displacement camps of Weydow, families already battling food shortages and unsafe housing are now grappling with a new threat — one that is creeping into homes and draining what little they have left: online gambling through the 1XBET platform.

What was once a quiet, devastating addiction affecting a few has now grown into a community-wide crisis.

A Father Caught in the Spiral

Abdi Mohamed, a father of six, has been trapped in online gambling for the past three years. What started as a curiosity has now consumed every part of his life — including the money his family desperately needs.

“At my lowest point, I gambled the only $10 I earned that day — and I lost it all. I even took $40 from a boy and topped it up, and I lost that too on my phone. If I get another phone today, I’ll keep playing,” Abdi confessed.

His addiction has not only worsened his family’s poverty but has placed an emotional and psychological burden on everyone around him.

A Mother on the Edge

For Falastin Cartan Ali, also a mother of six, her household is standing on the brink of collapse because her husband spends most of their income on the 1XBET app.

“It has affected me badly. He gambles the money I need for myself and the children. I have a son with tuberculosis, and a neighbor had to buy his medication because I couldn’t afford it,” she said in distress.

For families like hers, gambling is more than a bad habit — it is a ticking time bomb threatening their survival.

The Youth Are Not Spared

The crisis runs even deeper. It is not only adults with incomes who are caught in the trap. Unemployed youth — some with no steady source of money — have also fallen into the gambling cycle.

Their desperation drives conflict within families.

Daahiro Mohamed, a concerned mother, describes the chaos created by her son’s addiction:

“Any dollar he gets, he spends on 1XBET. At night he goes out, hoping to win back what he lost. It has become an addiction. When he runs out of money, he calls me asking for cash.”

For many parents, 1XBET has become the silent enemy inside their homes.

Despite a Government Ban, the Game Lives On

Although the Somali government officially banned 1XBET in 2023, the platform continues to attract thousands of young people daily. Many access it through VPNs and alternative links openly shared online.

Dr. Shaafici Sharif, a researcher studying the impact of online gambling, believes the issue requires far more than a simple ban.

“There are companies making it easy for youth to deposit and withdraw money. They promote their services openly on social media. It’s not enough to say it’s banned — enforcement must be strict, and the community must be educated about its dangers,” he warned.

Religious Leaders: “This Is Pure Gambling — and Forbidden”

Local religious leaders equate 1XBET directly with gambling — which Islam strictly prohibits. They warn that it not only destroys faith but also sabotages a family’s financial stability.

Dr. Sheikh AbdiKarim Isse Ali, the Imam of Ali Jimcaale Mosque in Mogadishu, issued a clear stance:

“1XBET is pure gambling. It destroys the wealth of the community. Islam forbids it, and every dollar you win is forbidden.”

What Exactly Is 1XBET?

1XBET is a private online gambling application licensed in Curacao, under the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its headquarters in Cyprus. Though banned in Somalia, the platform continues to operate in shadow networks and attracts vulnerable communities through aggressive online marketing.

The Bigger Picture: A Community in Crisis

For displaced families already drowning in poverty, 1XBET is more than a digital game — it is a destructive force deepening hunger, fueling family conflict, and widening the gap between survival and collapse.

Until real enforcement, awareness, and social support systems are put in place, families in Weydow — and across Somalia — will continue to suffer in silence as online gambling eats away at their futures, one lost dollar at a time.