The prime minister of Singapore, PM Lee has decided to set up two integrated resorts in our country to boost the economy. This issue has been brought up numerous times but it has never been passed by the government. But why does PM Lee finally decided to set them up? And what are the most prominent advantages and disadvantages?
Firstly, I personally agree with PM Lee’s decision. I see no reason why the government would refuse to set up “money-making” centres, which ultimately brings benefits to our country’s economy and society. The two resorts together bring about an estimated 50000 jobs, a staggering figure for a small country, which would effectively solve employment problems, especially during times like the recent economic crisis. Also, the local gambling industry in Singapore alone generates about 5-6 billion dollars a year. This shows that the two integrated resorts are capable of generating more income for the country.
However, alongside all the benefits and disadvantages to the country, there are also several serious problems which the integrated resorts bring about.
Firstly, gambling is extremely addictive. While the target audience is foreigners and tourists it is impossible to prevent locals from entering the gambling centre. Hence, if locals do get addicted to gambling, it will create a series of social problems which are extremely unfavourable and undesired. Also, gambling is usually associated with smoking, drinking, prostitution, and several other illegal acts. Thus, the government has to go an extra step to counter these problems to ensure that the integrated resorts are safe and running legally and perfectly.
Therefore, to step up counter measures, I propose that Singaporeans could probably be barred from entering the casinos, or that there will be a limit of money for which a local can bring into a casino to minimize losses. Alternatively, the government could implement a system where the local must have a certain yearly income to enter the casino, such that the player is able to afford the possible losses incurred. The government could also bar people who are jobless or on the request of one’s family members, such that they would not get addicted to gambling. These measures would prevent addiction as locals are not the primary target audience for the casinos.
Also, to prevent illegal acts committed in casinos, the government has to set up a unit to watch over all the activities within the casinos. They might also need to set up a station at the entrance to scan through everything every person is bringing into the casino, such that illegal activities such as drug trading would not occur in the casinos. Thus, given these extra measures to solve the social repercussions, I believe that the integrated resorts should be open to aid our country’s economic growth.
