Gambling and Hypocrisy

We join those who correctly state, that we are a terribly hypocritical society, when it comes to gambling in our society. There is no empirical evidence, that casino gambling will destroy the moral fabric of our society. To those who continue to resist its introduction, we remind them that it generates employment and is a form of personal recreation.

Gambling is widespread in Barbados. A point clearly made by Mr. Al Gilkes, in a recent column in the Nation Newspaper(Sunday Sun). Stories are legendary about big shot politicians and business persons, losing personal fortunes and plantations changing hands because of losing big poker games. It is a known fact, that one of our most revered, late prime ministers was a master poker player. Many families have been ruined because of addiction to poker and other forms of gambling including horse racing. Quite recently, the current DLP administration, wrote off millions of dollars the Barbados Turf Club owed the treasury.

Those who frequent one arm bandit arcades can speak of workers leaving their earnings in one arm bandits. Their empty pay packets, being swept off the floors, the morning after by janitorial staff. Many poor underpaid workers head for the arcades, in the hope of winning a jackpot. These bandits enrich a few and the buddies of our politicians.

Millions of dollars in wages and salaries do not reach homes because of poker, bandits, horse racing and other forms of gambling. Barbados is a capitalist society and cannot escape the reality of citizens spending their money as they please. Casino gambling will not introduce gambling to our society; it will merely be the icing on the cake, of a society in moral and economic free fall.

The collective BLP/DLP governments have contributed to Barbadians being hooked on gambling. They knew what there were doing when they allowed one arm bandits and racing pools to operate in our island state. The state approved lotteries and other forms of gambling, sap much needed income from very poor families whose wage earners cannot afford to gamble.

They now get in parliament and shed crocodile tears about casino gambling on cruise ships docked in our seaport. Those who facilitated the bandits, state approved lotteries, are now pretending they have been washed in the blood of the lamb. We agree with Al Gilkes that gambling is rampant in our society.

The BLP/DLP has no moral high ground on this issue. Their collective hypocrisy would be laughable if it were not so pathetic.