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Hi Ruth,
Thanks for posting your comments on the subject of gambling. It made
for very interesting reading. Your statement below was particularly
interesting:
> Increasingly high rates of gambling have been noted among
> Chinese communities, particularly new migrants and restaurant
> workers. It is thought that this is precipitated by
> loneliness, isolation, cultural and language barriers.
Would you happen to have any more research concerning the demographic
group you describe above in relation to gambling? I've often heard of
boredom leading to
drug addiction, petty crime, and depression; but gambling comes as a
surprise addition to the list. The common conception of Chinese
restaurant workers / new Chinese migrants is that they work so hard
that they have little time for anything else.
On a related note, there was an article in the _Wall Street Journal_
about a fortnight ago which talked about some of the bigger casinos in
China as being operated by wealthy Americans. They catered to domestic
and foreign businessmen, and not to the average Chinese person. So, I
was wondering, does the barrage of materialism that crashes upon
unsuspecting immigrants contribute to this (new?) love of gambling?
> So I conclude this diatribe with some questions: Can Goa
> afford to have ten new offshore casinos? Does it need to be a
> "gambler's paradise"? Will these casinos create wealth for
> Goans and Indians or will they cause more harm? Can industry
> operators provide a safe product? If not is it better to not
> have casinos at all? Will more casinos lead the way to the
> installation of electronic gaming machines?
Good questions all. Here is a partial answer from _New Scientist_:
"The American gambling meccas of Atlantic City, Las Vegas and
Reno all suffer significantly higher suicide rates than comparable
cities that outlaw gaming. A new study suggests that cities pay a
price in public mental health when they cash in on gambling profits."
Source: http://tinyurl.com/r3bpl
Peter D'Souza
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