T & T Government Worried About The Social Impact Of Gambling
Barbados Leadership Says “To Hell With Families & Society, Give Me De Money!”
It is really all about values and where the leaders want to take their respective countries. The Government of Trinidad & Tobago under President George Maxwell Richards just passed a law that will see the phasing out of slot machines in that country. Barbados under the government of Prime Minister Owen Arthur has recently embarked upon a massive increase in slot machines situated in local communities.
Everybody knows that slots in the local communities are bad for families and bad for individuals. Prime Minister Arthur did not restrict the increase in slots to tourist hotel venues and has decided that targeting local Bajan communities is acceptable.
Previously, Arthur has equated casino gambling with selling our daughters into prostitution. (link here) Perhaps he’s changed his mind about what is acceptable. Hopefully for our daughters, the PM’s change of heart will stop at slot machines.
Like we said, it is all about values… and, as someone much wiser than we are once said…
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…
and
For the love of money is the root of all evil
Mr. Prime Minister, members of the government… Why do you do this to Barbados?
Article Links
Trinidad & Tobago Express: Slot Machines To Be Phased Out
Barbados Free Press:
Gambling King Robert Johnson “Gave” BET To Barbados And The World
Robert Johnson Pleased To Partner With Barbados Government In New Gambling Operation
Barbados Government Licenses Yet Another Gambling Casino – Nation News Treads Oh So Delicately
13 Comments
June 30, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Good for you BFP. Well put.
June 30, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Once again Trinidad is 25 years ahead of Barbados.
Doan mind,Baje,
there are many instances too,
where Barbados is 25 years ahead of Trini,
so doan feel bad.
June 30, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I maintain nothing is wrong with gambling in and of itself, just do like Cuba and restrict casinos to foreigners! As for lotteries – the apostles drew straws to choose their next disciple, Jesus never complained of gambling – the thing He objected to was what was tantamount to [the forerunner of the Catholic church selling indulgences] at His temple.
What is more questionable is when you walk into a slots arcade and see croupiers cash senior citizens’ cheques without a by-ur-leave and don’t even suggest to the poor old things to hold back 150 for the groceries and bills! Then watch the oldsters play like zombies hoping the next pull gets a draw even though you can sense they doubt it and play against that despair anyway – I suggested this as a story for CBC years ago, but this was considered too hot a topic and would mash many a corn!
I go into Lucky Horseshoe in Worthing all the time, I am not broke since I barely pull a bandit – if I play the machines twice a year then that’s a lot. I go there because I like the atmosphere and the food but I am there mainly to see what new music videos are out there, other than what MCTV rams down ur throat…
June 30, 2007 at 10:09 pm
“and two steps backward and …”
What is happening to us?
June 30, 2007 at 11:13 pm
“Like we said, it is all about values… and, as someone much wiser than we are once said…
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…
and
For the love of money is the root of all evil
Mr. Prime Minister, members of the government… Why do you do this to Barbados?”
***************************************
Someone once said that you don’t let a hungry man share de food and you don’t put a tief to collect the offering.
Someone also once said that we gave the BLP a chance although we did not know if they were capable of running the country.
An old man told me about ten years ago that we were wrong to put Owen Arffa to run de country. He said that Owen was “brek” and yuh doan put a “brek” man to look after money.
Were that man alive today I wonder what he would be saying?
Looking back we all knew what Owen was up to, but we overlooked it at our peril. In retrospect, if a man could not survive on the money he was making at the time, warning bells should have gone off in everybody’s head.
Owen was an MP at the time AND also lecturing at UWI. Couldn’t the two salaries have kept his head above water?
We all fell for Owen’s scam back then and followed him blindly since then. We were all going wid Owen, and not a man asked where was Owen going.
Then came Hammie La in 1999 and we chanted we stayin’ wid Owen.
The time to wake up is now as we have been sleeping for too long. We cannot afford to follow Owen anymore. We did that too many times and what have we got? Scammed, swindled, robbed and only God knows what else.
Yet there are some who are so “dotished” that they can’t see an alternative.
Time to get rid of Owen AND THE ENTIRE LOT.
How long is too long when corruption is paramount?
July 1, 2007 at 3:59 am
Lets get real how do we plan to stop them when the PM EASF see thru is involved with Nicholls and company.
You must be joking
July 1, 2007 at 5:53 am
Gambling appears to be a fashionable; but it brings with it, prostitution in all its form;adults men,women; young boys and girls; money laundering and violence. Casino is another addition.
If this is allowed to go ahead,it can surely points that this Government cares little about the people it purports to represent.
While gambling may be the norm in some countries it will obviously be out of place in this country.
What is the church saying about this? What are the decent law abiding peole saying about this?
At the end of the day it basically boils down to morals.
If it should succeed, it would clearly shows that this administration is incapable of understanding the term ‘morals’ .
July 1, 2007 at 1:37 pm
The REAL addiction is to MONEY.
Gambling, prostitution,drugs and all other ills mentioned are merely the vehicle used to acquire the all-entrancing ’store of value’ we call money.
When we get over the money addiction (ha!)
we’ll find that the other money-motivated social ills will wither and die,
just like Lenin’s dream for capitalism and socialism!
July 1, 2007 at 2:02 pm
BFP…. I’m very happy that you factored in the placement of these “SLUT” (slot) machines into locations where the general populance could use-up their already LOW income. I too have seen MANY of our senior citizens in Bridgetown cashing in their Pension & Wealfare Checks… and spending the entire amount in the Olympio Tickets as far back as 4 years ago. Sometimes I’d ask them why were they doing it and the most common answer was that If they won the Jackpot they would be able to pay off their bills….. The Idea of Gambeling though I believe is personal Choice… Addictions are NOT &/ NO LONGER personal choice . Therefore Our society should NOT encourage gambeling and having placed them in their multitudes amongst the Desperate to Win Income Earners.. How many well to do, Financially well off people do you find buying up these items (slots or tickets) compared to the not so well off?
Las Vegas type of operations is really something to look at….. The Casino’s, The 3500 to 5000 Room Hotels , the SHOWS and Stage acts, the Lights the Concerts, THE FOODs….. the Tours…. The Business Shows… This is what Las Vegas is about. The Gambeling is also there probably ranking # 1 in Las Vegas Entertainment…. but there is Choice and many attractions. So if our previous writer stating that the Slots were for the Tourists then put them all in the tourist Areas ONLY.
July 1, 2007 at 6:47 pm
LOL you think T&T foolish?
They would be damn’ed forever if they let that criminal network down there start to get their hands on gambling money now too…
Even the Crime rings would probably start bidding for BS&T before not to long….
July 1, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Paradox asks:
What is the church saying about this??
I often wonder what Rev. Atherley tells his congregation, indeed what excuses he makes to his God for condoning this and other unsavoury behaviour by his colleagues.
July 2, 2007 at 12:58 am
Gambling is ideal for the money launderer. No way to understand where it came from, just dump that drug money into the bank.
Oh yes, we need LOTS of that.
July 2, 2007 at 11:00 am
[...] Richards just passed a law that will see the phasing out of slot machines in that country.” Barbados Free Press wishes Barbados would follow suit. Share [...]