Setting up a legalised casino: Good or bad?
October 23, 2013
An issue that is highlighted in the newspapers now is about the Government planning to allow a foreign businessman to set up a casino. The Opposition has criticised the proposal although casinos were allowed to operate during the time of the UNP governments as well.
Of course the argument against them is now couched in terms of the moral dimension. Is gambling inherently immoral? Buddhist monks say so. But we already have lotteries run by the Government. The British colonial ruler banned cockfighting – a village sport popular in certain parts of the country and hence gambling is not entirely absent from our ancient culture. Villagers are known to take bets on future events like which party will win an election.
