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Uniquely Singapore

 
Thinktorial; The new Singapore casinos PDF Print E-mail
Ideas - Humanifesto
Written by Jeffree Benet   

Our thoughts  on the casino argument: It's only a gambling problem if you're losing.

Gambling problem

O
h, the irony... I just went to Las Vegas to get married, and returned to find a lotta noise about the opening of a casino here. Many locals say that the simple fact that there is discussion means that the decision has already been made, with the government hinting it will put in place restrictions to curb problem gambling. It also says it will limit the size of the casino to 15,000 square metres, which is odd, considering that's larger than the average casino in Las Vegas.

But is a casino such a bad thing? I mean, Singaporeans already spend on average something around US$900 million annually just on cruise ship and offshore gambling, that's half a percent of GDP. We at Think say "Yes" to a new casino, with access for anyone of age who can buy a chip.

 

Why? Because it's fun. Sure, people will overdo it, but they already do and there's no casino. Nobody forces gamblers to make the bet, and like the pic above says, it's only a problem if you're losing.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it best: "If gambling is one of the things [tourists] want to do, then maybe we should allow them to do that, find some way to do that, and as a result of that over 10 years double the [tourist] traffic volume." But by opening it up to all, such a casino would also help Singapore recover much of the millions Singaporeans already gamble each year abroad.


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Bohem Art Hotel in Budapest

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