Gambling in The Fine City

A pair of die. NOT DICES!

Since young, I have been picking small pieces of paper from a box, which contains the full spectrum of digits. The digits selected would then be permuted and combined in almost every way possible for a bi-weekly (now tri-weekly) lottery known as the four-digits in Singapore. Unfortunately, none of the digits that I have picked seem to be favoured by the elusive gods of fortune (if not I would be hire a typist to type this out for me). In spite of the bad history, I believe Lady Luck and the gods of fortune will smile on me one day, I just have to keep trying...

Sounds familiar, yes? Other than food, gambling seems to be this nation's favourite pastime. After all, we slow down when there is a traffic accident, not to offer help to the unfortunate victims, but to record the license numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident. We never know when the gods may smile again when tragedy occurs. Sunshine after the rain, they say. Even family gatherings, from first month celebrations to new years to funerals (truly cradle to grave coverage), seem incomplete without somebody bringing out a deck of cards or a set of “mahjong” tiles out. Gambling seems to have been nurtured as a culture along with the culture of capitalism. “The Singapore Success Story” was also a series of gambles made by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and his government that paid off.

Therefore, I ask myself, “What is the big hoo-hah about building a casino in Singapore?” In fact, I find it surprising that it has not been built yet, judging from Singaporeans’ passion for gambling. I agree that social costs may result from the construction of a casino but such “negative externalities” have existed in Singapore ever since people gambled here. Illegal prostitutes have been on the rise recently and I do not believe it is because of a potential casino. Underground gamblers may end up owing huge amounts of debt at ridiculously high interest rates to loan sharks which not only endangers the health of the defaulter, his/her family may end up in tragedy too. The recent Lee family tragedy may repeat again even without a casino here on our shores. What we should be concentrating on is not whether we should have a casino, but how to address the problems that arise from all forms of gambling.