Casinos are sugar coated poison

Is Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena just another pawn in the Government’s casino gamble?

He has been widely criticised in the recent past as a result of the casino circus. First the government declared that it had granted a partial 10-year tax holiday for the two casino projects -- one owned by the Australian casino mogul James Packer and the other by the Sri Lankan blue chip company John Keells Holdings. Then as dissent inside and outside the government got louder, the gazette providing tax concessions for the projects were withdrawn (temporarily) by the subject minister while promising to introduce the casino gazette notification again in parliament with amendments. Though government allies – the Jathika Hela Urumaua (JHU), National Freedom Front (NFF) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) together with the opposition strongly opposed the casino gazette notification it was clear that the government had the necessary numbers to pass this gazette. However this time it was no longer a game of numbers for the government, but it was the protests and the criticisms by parties within the government that blocked the motion.

Ministers Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa and JHU parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera of the government opposed this gazette notification while Ministers Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Keheliya Rambukwella and S.B. Dissanayake spoke in favour of this gazette notification to the media while describing casinos as a giant step to improve the country’s economy and the tourism industry. In fact Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake not only acknowledged that casinos were good, he went a little further than the other two ministers and said he had been to casinos in America and gambled and thinks that it is a good sport while indirectly admitting that females were recruited as employees at casinos in most countries as an effort to lure the gamblers.

Education Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake speaking to Daily Mirror said the setting up of new casinos in Sri Lanka was justifiable as it would help the tourism industry to grow.

“We will support any policy, which is good for the betterment of the nation. And it has already been decided that locals will not be allowed into these casinos. I personally think that it is better for the casinos to be shifted to D. R. Wijewardana Mawatha. And casinos are not a new thing. Already there are four casinos existing in the country. What we should understand is that our country should have all the facilities that are necessary for tourists if the tourism industry is to be improved: so people who have money and prefer to do shopping, swimming in the ocean and like to gamble at casinos can come to Sri Lanka, which would benefit the country economically. And why should I, who does not go to casinos be troubled because of this gazette notification,” Mr. Dissanayake added.

However when asked whether he was uttering these sentiments because he was bound by the policies of the government since he was a government representative and a minister, Mr. Dissanayake said it was not the case though as a minister he was bound to comply with the policies of the government but that he was also allowed to express his personal views.

“If to improve the tourism industry the tourists should have all the comforts and facilities they require. We should implement this while protecting everything that our country has, such as the ‘family culture’ and values, family unit, history, social norms and the civilization of our country,” Mr. Dissanayake said.

Meanwhile government parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala commenting on the issue said he was not against the setting up of casinos in the country.

“Casinos have been in our country for some time but they need to be regulated properly. I am not against casinos, but I do agree that the casino business should be based on regulations. Regulations and laws should be introduced regarding casinos and implemented properly. However I strongly believe that local people should not be allowed into these casinos and that the casinos should only be restricted to foreigners,” Mr. Sumathipala said. When Mr. Sumathipala voiced his displeasure at Sri Lankans engaging in gambling activities, Daily Mirror asked him about the betting centres operating in many towns in the country with thousands of Sri Lankan citizens gambling at these centres (while winning and losing their hard -earned money), he said, “I have no connection with betting centres”.

Controversial parliamentarian Duminda Silva when contacted by Daily Mirror also agreed that casinos in Sri Lanka should only be allowed for foreigners while ‘race by race’ should be completely stopped in Sri Lanka.







“Sri Lanka will be able to gain an income through casinos and casinos will provide entertainment to the foreigners which will help to develop Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. If other countries come and invest in Sri Lanka, that would be good for our nation. As a member of parliament I should support what the president and the government are doing, therefore I support this move,” Mr. Silva said. However when questioned about the ‘controversial tax holidays’ he said, “The investors will go off if we do not give them tax holidays. They have about 100 countries that they can invest in. But these people chose Sri Lanka because it is a developing nation.”
Meanwhile the recently-appointed Minor Export Crop Promotion Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhettigama, contrary to what Mr. Silva said  no tax holidays should be given to casinos in Sri Lanka.

“I see casinos as a method to broaden the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.  Therefore I do not see anything wrong with the setting up of more casinos. Nevertheless Sri Lankans should not be allowed to gamble in casinos and a 5% tax should be imposed on these casinos without allowing them to have any tax holidays,” he said.
Another allegation which arose with the casino issue is that the establishment of casinos will directly threaten and damage the Sri Lankan culture and social life as many people predicted that prostitution, the use of alcohol and drugs, and underworld activities will increase with this move. To inquire about this matter Daily Mirror contacted Cultural and Arts Minister T.B. Ekanayake who admitted that gambling regardless of which robe it is dressed in, will bring about harmful effects into any culture and society.

“We cannot approve anything which will cause harmful effects to the culture and social life in Sri Lanka. However if we are to improve the tourism industry, then we have to provide the tourists with all the facilities and the background they require. I think that if casinos are restricted only to foreigners then no damage will happen to the country’s culture. And I also believe that maximum taxes should be imposed on casinos,” Mr. Ekanayake said. Nevertheless when Daily Mirror flatly and bluntly asked the Minister whether casinos would not increase prostitution, the use of alcohol and drugs and underworld activities in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ekanayake denied it saying that, ‘whatever  that increases can be controlled completely’.

“I do not think that prostitution, the use of alcohol and drugs and underworld activities in Sri Lanka will increase as a result of casinos, as we can always control them. So culturally or socially, I do not think that casinos will do any damage to the country,” Mr. Ekanayake explained.

Meanwhile the main opposition United National Party (UNP) though it has been up in arms against the establishment of casinos in Sri Lanka (while stating that it will cause tremendous harm to the social culture of Sri Lanka and therefore the UNP will dismiss the economic benefits casinos might bring to the country based on moral grounds), ironically, it was during the time of the UNP government that casinos were initially introduced to Sri Lanka.

Speaking about casinos UNP MP Ajith P. Perera told Daily Mirror, “Prostitution, drugs and alcohol and underworld activities directly go hand in hand with casinos. So by no means can we justify them, and casinos will be banned under a UNP government.” However when questioned whether the UNP is also not responsible for this situation which has occurred today, since it was during its term in power that casinos were introduced and implemented in Sri Lanka, Mr. Perera admitted that when the UNP government recognized the mistake, they corrected it then and there.  

“It was during the UNP regime that casinos were first made their presence felt, however when we realised that it was a mistake, we immediately corrected it and banished Joe Sim from Sri Lanka. Nevertheless since 1994, the UNP was not in power and it is former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and President Mahinda Rajapaksa who were in office. So casinos existed during this whole period and have come to this situation we are in today. Therefore if anyone says that the UNP is responsible for casinos, so are President Rajapaksa and former President Kumaratunga responsible for this catastrophe, because they allowed the casinos to exist freely. And the Rajapaksa regime has unofficially permitted casinos to exist (without issuing any legal permits) by imposing taxes on these centres (which unofficially gives them a legal cover) and by issuing instructions to the police not to raid the prevailing casinos in the country,” Mr. Perera concluded.

The casino fiasco in Sri Lanka is still hot on the plate, while everyone is eagerly awaiting to see what the final stance of the government would be -- will our country be forced to consume this sugar-coated poison (in the name of development) while allowing it to gradually destroy our country in small doses, as this poison slowly but steadily glides through the whole system and foundation of Sri Lanka?