People taken for a ride

by Devon Dick

RECENTLY, THE Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) objected to additional organised opportunity for gambling on horse racing. Lee Clarke, mayor of Kingston and horse trainer, in objecting to the JCC's stance, said in a letter to the editor on February 9, "There are more than 200 persons employed at Caymanas Track Limited on a typical race day." (Feb 9). He is the only person I have read who provided data to support the argument for an additional day. Based on this information, it means that 200 persons could have an additional day of employment or new persons employed for the additional day.

The People's National Party in its Progressive Agenda committed itself to data-driven and evidence-based policies. This agitation for an additional day of organised gambling could be used as a test case for a policy to be data driven.

There are many opportunities already for organised gambling on horses with simulcast from many parts of the world available to the public.

Governments do place limits on opportunities for organised gambling, such as issuing a casino licence and stipulating that only one will be allowed in an area. In Britain, during the prime ministership of Tony Blair, many journalists were opposed to the number of casinos Blair wanted to allow in the country for various reasons. There has to be a limit even for economic reasons.

Does it make economic sense?

Furthermore, academics who study gambling claim that there are economic reasons for not adding more organised gambling. One of the issues, therefore, should be whether it makes economic sense for there to be additional organised horse-race gambling. What is needed is a cost benefit analysis, the pros and con and what impact will it have on the economy.

In other words, what is the profile of the punters? Do these persons have additional income to spare on gambling, or will they be sacrificing care for family in order to gamble? Bearing in mind that, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), half of the population is living on $250 a day, then it is possible that at least 50 per cent of the population does not have disposable income to spend on gambling. It is, therefore, highly possible that losers from additional gambling might not be able to pay a domestic worker and persons would lose jobs. It does not take an economic genius to recognise that in a tight economy, additional organised gambling makes no sense. It is not sustainable. And those who have the money to spend buy horses, own stables and open betting shops and make money.

An additional day for organised gambling is just another way to take persons who are poor for a ride. They will be the biggest losers. It is really those who can least afford it who will suffer. Some persons will be smiling all the way to the bank but not many persons who are poor, whose families will find it difficult to survive. The IMF survey said that in Jamaica the rich is getting richer and poor poorer; therefore, organised gambling has the potential to exacerbate the situation.

It is a worldwide feature that persons who are poor are taken for a ride. Last week, it emerged that in oil-rich Nigeria, where there is economic growth, more persons are falling below the poverty line! It means that whether economic crisis or economic boom, persons who are poor still get shafted.

There is scheduled to be another additional day of organised gambling on horses for June and the Government should use this time to do the research and not allow the people who are poor be taken for a ride.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.