Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Great Casino Debate
I'm all for building a casino in Singapore. Doing so is a double-edged sword and granted, it may bring about potential social problems, but the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion, and thus building a casino can be seen as a necessary evil.
There are many economic benefits of building a casino. For one, it can boost tourism and in the process generate lots of revenue for Singapore, and is probably the most effective method to accomplish this. It is also able to generate much more job opportunities for Singaporeans, reducing unemployment and improving our economy at the same time. Especially in the current period we are living in, this is becoming more relevant.
I am aware that social problems may arise. More Singaporeans may be addicted to gambling, crime rates may rise, and many other consequences. However, the government has been stepping up on measures to prevent, or rather, slow down the rate of this happening. For example, Singaporeans need to produce their identity cards to be allowed to enter the casino, thereby giving family members of gambling addicts the option to stop them from gambling. In addition, they need to pay a non-refundable entrance fee of $100 to enter.
Some argue that it is not necessary to build a casino. However, in order to stay competitive in terms of tourism and economy, there is indeed a need to have a casino to help us move at the same pace with other countries. Granted, it may not be as grand as prominent casinos in Las Vegas, but at least it gives us a slight edge against other countries.
So, keep in mind people, don't criticize any unconventional ideas that the government brings up. It may work better than you think.
