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The
Business Times, 29 Sep 04
Why
it is futile banning a casino
I REFER to the article by Alan Lim (BT, Sept 27), which says that
a casino has no place in Singapore. It cites a Professor John Kindt,
who argues that social costs of gambling are much higher than economic
benefits. However, further research will show that this evidence lies
squarely in the anti-casino camp, and a more neutral study can be
found in the National Gambling Impact Study Commission Final Report,
the result of a three-year study by the US Government of the costs
and benefits of gambling (not just casinos) dated June 1999. The website
where this can be found is govinfo.library.unt.edu All interested
Singaporeans should take a look at this report, which has an executive
summary that runs into 63 pages, and a very comprehensive main report
that covers all the issues of the debate in America, with many of
the conclusions relevant to us in Singapore.
The neutral conclusion in this report about economic benefits and
social costs is that this is too difficult to measure (even in America,
where many more studies have been made), much less quantified by the
1:3 benefit-cost ratio cited in the article.
While Singapore's economic planners should not ignore any social costs
in trying to capture the obvious economic gains, it is fast becoming
a fact that there may not be a choice for Singapore in this matter.
If Singapore should succeed as a low-cost carrier transport hub, the
many casinos sprouting in the region are almost as good as being in
Sentosa. There is no question that all these countries planning casinos
fully intend to tap the Singaporean gambling crowd and tourists.
Our government may take on the social burden of protecting our citizens
from their own folly by not having a casino, but would other governments
care for Singaporeans in the same fashion? Of course not. So the economics
of the air transport industry will intensify the competition for the
tourist dollar, with every country in Asia targeting each other's
population as their hinterland.
Why should Singapore without a casino fight this coming tourism battle
with one arm tied behind its back? If we take the moralistic stance,
should we then impose charges on budget airlines destined for casino
towns? While we are at it, why don't we close down the Turf Club,
all the lotteries and every form of gambling which Singaporeans already
indulge in every day? Where will it end?
Yeong Wai Cheong
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