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Letters to the Editor

Abolish gambling

Wednesday, February 08, 2012



Dear Editor,

I refer to the article, "Bishop says church's stance on gambling hypocritical", in the February 6 Observer.

There is nothing good to be gained from gambling. Gambling threatens the moral fabric of our society. It leads to increased bankruptcies, crime, gambling addictions, broken families, and increased poverty. It should be totally abolished.

Gambling is a seductive activity, giving out the illusion that one can get rich quick by placing a small wager on the outcome of an unpredictable event. If only it were that simple. We all know that in the betting shop there are always more "paying in" windows than those that pay out. Unfortunately, it is the very people who can least afford it who plough what little money they have into the coffers of our bookmakers.

As times get harder, desperation grows stronger and the bets become more speculative, resulting in the punter losing even more money. A depressing cycle indeed.

Paul Kokoski

Hamilton, Ontario

Canada

paulkokoski@gmail.com



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COMMENTS (1)

Stanley Palmer
2/9/2012
You are so right Paul. Unethical and corrupt individuals invest in gambling enterprises and enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the society. Any and all legal gambling in Jamaica should be means tested and severely restricted. Gambling produces no tangible benefits that could not be produced more efficiently by other activities.

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