Livingstone Thompson, Guest Columnist
THE GOVERNMENT and leaders in the tourism and the private sector are well aware of the wider Christian community's opposition to gambling.
They also know that the onus is on them to make the case for the further expansion of the gambling industry because it is not immediately evident that the economic gains of gambling will outweigh the social costs. Those who believe there is much to be gained from expansion may want to show the extent to which the gambling industry, in its current stratification, is making a meaningful contribution to the GDP of the country. They must also answer the question of who the beneficiaries of the Lucky 5, Catch 3 and the lottery etc. are and show this in terms of the improvement in income of those who participate on a daily basis.
UNCONVINCING ARGUMENT
There are two reasons why the case for gambling and its continued expansion, especially into the area of casinos, is not convincing. The first is that the pro-gamblers have not yet been able to debunk the traditional association of gambling with poor work ethic, violence, money laundering, negative impact on families and low ethical and moral values. The opposition of the Christian community did not exist before gambling came into being, so that it can be said to be completely based on suspicion or prejudice. It was because Christians came to see deterioration in family and communal life as a result of the ethic attitude that underlies gambling.
The converse was also seen that the deterioration of ethical and moral values in the community and families went hand in hand with the lure of gambling. The hesitation of the Government to immediately throw its full weight behind gambling expansion, is not due to pressure from the churches, as many people seem to think. Rather, the leaders of Government themselves are not convinced that gambling is a wonderful idea, let alone a panacea, to solve our economic woes in a sustained way. So, despite the figures from Robert Buddhan of the University of the West Indies, and others, the case has simply not been made convincing beyond doubt. The fascination with gambling in general, and casino gambling in particular, is simply evidence of the short-sightedness and desire for instant but unsustainable economic gratification that exists in our capitalist class.
The second reason why the case for gambling and its expansion is not convincing is that, even with the impressive figures of economic benefit, the argument is constructed on a foundation that is questionable. According to Godfrey Dyer of the Jamaica and Hotel and Tourism Aaaociation, Beverly Lopez of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and Dr. Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia, casino gambling will improve the tourism product. I believe they mean by this, that more tourists will be attracted to our shores and spend more money if we offer them the option of casinos. I am no expert on tourism but that does not sound to me like improvement in a product, although it does reflect a strategy to improve arrivals.
It was the same argument about improving the tourism product that was used for the expansion of the prostitution industry in Thailand. It was argued that the American and European tourists would come in droves only if there were an unending supply of girls from which they could pick and choose for their pleasure and fancy. The prostitution industry in Thailand expanded, there were improved arrivals but all these came at a great cost to the social and health sectors. The main beneficiaries were the corrupt persons involved in human trade, who subjected the young women to the most inhumane treatment for the benefit of the visitor. Neither the girls, nor their families, nor the society at large has had any positive outcome of which they could be proud.
A MYTH
What is being proposed as improvement of the tourism product is nothing more than a series of self-serving gimmicks to lure a certain constituency. That constituency, which is believed to be interested in casino gambling, may also be interested in drugs, prostitution and other societal ills. If they want these, why do we not make them available too? I am not sure, however, that that gambling-loving constituency is the largest constituency of possible visitors to the island.
The tourism leaders may be operating under a myth not dissimilar to pub owners in Ireland, who believed it was possible for non-smoking pubs to do well. These pub owners tried stoutly to resist the ban on smoking in all places of work, which the Irish Government instituted on March 29 this year. Their fear, arising from the myth, was that the pub industry would go into recession. However, the transition to a smoke-free workplace has not only gone smoothly but has also shown improved income for owners, as they are able now to cater to non-smokers, who formerly would not venture into the heavily-smoked pub atmosphere. The Government considered that the likely fall in GDP as a result of the absence of smoke in the workplace, cannot be compared with the long-term benefit expected to accrue from the reduction of the cost of treating smoke-related illnesses. The move is not only wise from a health point of view, it has also proven to be a prudent economic and fiscal decision.
LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES
One suspects that the tourism leadership, as well as the pro-gamblers in the Government, do not want to broaden the span of their vision and look for other alternatives for the development of tourism. The fascination with casino gambling is approaching the point of fanaticism. Are we to understand that there are no tourists anywhere in the world who would be prepared to spend money to see more of Jamaica's heritage, community life, wildlife, flora and fauna etc.?
As one respected economist suggested recently, the capitalists in Jamaica are interested more in buying and selling than in investment for sustained economic growth. It could be that the ease with which money can enter and leave the gambling industry, is driving the fanatical interest of the tourism industry. We are evidently in a dispensation where the political and business leadership is so focused on immediate gains for housekeeping purposes that it is unable to delay its desire for instant gratification.
Rev. Dr. Livingstone Thompson is president of the Executive Board of the Moravian Church in Jamaica.
