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Cruise on the River Mandovi: The desi Las Vegas

By: Santosh :+: Under: Business, Culture, Desi Ishtyle
On: ⋅ March 7, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Riverboat Gambling - desi ishtyle
(img: via BBC.com)

Zubair Ahmed from BBC.com talks about how Goa, a popular beach resort on the West Coast on India is transforming into a gambling hotspot.
This, of course, if not without controversy as the so-called “moral” guardians - both religious and political - oppose the endeavor.

“We see it as a problem. The church has apprehensions about the multiplication of casinos,” said Father Loila Pereira, the spokesman for the state’s influential Catholic Church.

The leader of the opposition and the former state Chief Minister, Manohar Parikkar, says casinos are “criminal-oriented, prostitution-oriented and gambling cannot deliver good tourism“.

They both have valid points in that gambling can be an addictive vice. But most visitors to these riverboat casinos are tourists, who are gambling for fun on vacation. Most tourists in Vegas gamble but they are not compulsive gamblers. The amount of money tourism and gambling brings in, made an oasis in the desert into Las Vegas and could benefit Goa in the same way. Besides, its about time religious and political leaders let people grow up and be responsible for their own decisions. Ramu or John gambled away his house. Too bad, he’s a grown man and should’ve known better. And lastly, the slippery slope. Gambling is addictive, ban it. What’s next? Alcohol? Cigarettes? Internet?

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