Do we need so many Casinos?
Posted on June 5th, 2013
Michelle Alexander
It has been reported that plans are currently underway to build a massiveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Las Vegas-style Casino resort in Colombo, with an investment of US$ 350mn. While the Animal Welfare Bill is yet to be enacted, the Casino Business Regulation Act appears to be alive and kicking and already in use. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is also noted that this investment will be exempted from the Corporate Income Tax for as much as ten years. It will be exempted from Betting and Gaming Levy and income tax. All project-related imports will also be exempt from Customs duty. We would only know within the coming days and weeks if this is true and if so, will it come to fruition.
Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam have prohibitions/restrictions on gambling, for many reasons.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Casinos bring much needed investments and create jobs, but it also leads to a plethora of social ills such as gambling addiction, crime and bankruptcy. As with alcohol and cigarettes, much if not most of the gambling industryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s revenue comes from addicts.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are other negative factors to take into consideration when it comes to casinos, such as money laundering, prostitution and drug trafficking. Addicts not only waste money on gambling and time meant for their loved ones and professional lives, they inevitably have to spend more money on treating their addiction.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
One could argue that when it comes to Sri Lanka an investment of US$ 350mn and the creation of jobs outweigh the costs in terms of crime, bankruptcy, and problem gambling. But those costs are real and, the evidence suggests, very large. Further, could we have not obtained similar investments and job opportunities without the addition of yet another casino?
June 5th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
I’m totally against animal slaughter, ritual slaughter, casinos, sharia, alcohol, drugs, sex trade, etc.
But NO ORDINARY SRI LANKAN will EVER go to a Las Vegas-style Casino resort.
They CAN’T afford it!!
ONLY tourists and FILTHY RICH locals (MOST of them anti-SL NGO junk, Colombians) will go there, GET RUINED and die.
June 5th, 2013 at 7:35 pm
this is the wise advice our leader gets from the 100 odd wise men and women! corruption at its peak – this is called ‘marga phala bukthivideema’ in sri lanka.(well more applicable for roads) a corrupt regime should be thrown out. just as much the politico in pottuvil was chased away by people, a peoples movement must bring down this regime.
June 6th, 2013 at 4:05 am
The wealthy people in Sri Lanka who may go to Casinos will lose what they have ! Come to think of it, the Golden Key scam was a casino type gamble. Many wealthy Sinhala people who believed in high and quick profits (there is no such thing possible), got caught and lose it all.
Too many Casinos will lead to the downfall of this small Nation. Unwise thinking by govt. to allow so many Casinos to proliferate. It is anti-life itself.
When lessons are not learnt from past experiences of oneself or others, it is called stupidity.
June 6th, 2013 at 4:51 am
correction : ” … got caught only to lose it all”.
June 6th, 2013 at 6:05 am
We also heard that various Casinos are to be opened in the south of Sri Lanka, but none in the North & East. Why ? is it further morally destroy the south ?