12^th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GAMBLING AND RISK-TAKING

FEEDBACK/ REPORT.

 06/3/03

 I: KEY FINDINGS/ OBSERVATIONS.

A. A significant amount of money made by the gambling industry is being spent on addressing the issues of problem gambling by the developed countries.

B. The economies of the developed nations does not treat the gambling industry as an answer to the kind of economic woes that is presently facing Jamaica, it seems to be just a lucrative form of entertainment. 

• No small nation with similar culture to Jamaica stood out in the various presentations.
• Casinos and other forms of gambling was largely an ‘add-on’ to the economies of the nations represented at the conference. Their economies became strong by deliberate social reform and accurate economic measures.

C. Gambling seems to be a favored activity or pastime by many people all over the world.

D. The ‘true winners’ in the gaming industry are the owners and administrators of the gambling firms and companies.

• There was not much clarity on the amount of money paid out in winnings.
• I was also unable to get that figure from the local gaming authorities

E. It seems like the casino will yield significant short-term gains. The long-term consequences are another matter.

II: IMPLICATIONS OF EXPANDING THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY IN JAMAICA VIA CASINOS.

A. Gambling is predatory – it preys on the weak, stupid and uninformed.

B. The gambling industry is currently and will continue to produce problem gamblers.

• Out of the 81 sessions of the conference, 31 were largely dedicated to the issues of problem gambling.

C. The youth is the major target of the gambling industry.

D. There will be the need to address many family issues because of problem gamblers.

E. Anti- money laundering control will be a major continuous fight with the introduction of casinos.

III: RELEVANT ACTIONS.

My recommendations are guidelines to manage an unnecessary evil that Jamaica really does not need.

• Basically from my perspective and the information that I now have, gambling will not be a messiah of the Jamaican economy. There is no country right now that I know of that can testify of the rescuing power of gambling on their economy.
•  However, Jamaica is now a gambling society whether I like it or not and we do not really have the leadership with the political will and clarity of vision to turn back this unfortunate proliferation.
•  In other words, the genie is already out of the bottle and she is not going back in.

A. Thorough statistical and social impact research must be done on the present gambling situation before expansion via casinos.

• This research must be on-going and will act as an important resource for the management of the gaming industry.
• All of the major gaming nations have instituted on-going research programs.
• In my field, I have come across quite a lot of problem gamblers. Statistical research will give us a clear picture of what is really taking place in the Jamaican scene.

B. Do some research on countries that can identify with the Jamaican culture and economic challenges? 

• Most if not all of the nations represented at the conference do not have similar culture and economic structures like Jamaica.
• I recommend the Bahamas model which restricts casinos to visitors, even though I recognize the right of every Jamaican to gamble if they want to.

C. The public interest must be given priority and be integrated by clearly defined gambling policies and must not be given the ‘after-thought’ treatment.

• Consumer protection information/ educational initiatives.
• Measures to reduce the incidence of problem gambling.
• The financial and social assistance structures to assist the guaranteed flood of problem gamblers and their families.

-         The Gaming industry must pay for the problems that it is presently creating and will create in the future.

-         The development of an effective care network.

• A system to ensure effectiveness of measures taken.

D. The Jamaican gaming industry must first demonstrate clear and effective social responsibility and conscience before further expansion.

• The issue of the over 70,000 unauthorized slot machines at various venues all over Jamaica must be dealt with.

• The issue of children being able to participate in the various games of chance must be dealt with.

• The proliferation of gambling ads on the media is not having a good effect on the Jamaican psyche and willingness to work hard. It must be brought under control and totally banned.

-         At one time in the UK, there were no public ads of gambling, but the national lottery caused this to be changed. Numerous problems have resulted.

Furthermore, I would like to point out the twelve major sins of the gambling industry 

1. The gambling culture promotes a ‘get-rich-quick’ mentality which is contrary to the order of God which dictates that wealth should be gained by the process of incremental advance and acquisition. The proliferation of the gambling culture in our society is now producing a generation who has no idea of the faith, application, focus and the sheer determination that it really takes to ‘give themselves a chance to move up inna life’. They want it now and the gambling industry is benefiting from this destructive mentality.

2. Naturally, the second sin of the gambling industry is the building of resentment to hard work in the minds of this present generation. Everybody want to ‘move up inna life’ the easy way. The gambling industry offers this false alternative. I must also say that I am disappointed with the businessmen who are now proposing the expansion of the gambling industry through the establishment of casinos in Jamaica. All of these men have reached where they are through grit and hard work. They are now straying away from the very principles which have taken them where they are today and they will pay some heavy consequences.

3. The neutralizing of life-skills development. Many of our young people are now hooked on gambling and they see it as a quick way to the top. There are a lot of lessons to be learnt when a person progresses through life via the traditional way i.e. hard work, integrity and the maintenance of good relationships with his or her fellow men and women. All of the persons who I know succeeded with big wins from gambling, had no idea how to manage it and are back to where they started or even worse.

4. A failure to inculcate the saving principle. The savings of a people is the strength of the nation’s economy. Gambling is money going down the drain. It is investment which can be likened to carrying water in a basket. There are many, many people who have been gambling for years and looking for that elusive ‘big win’. Today, they have nothing to show for their money which could have been invested otherwise.

5. A culture of short-sightedness which undermines the habits of long-term planning and vision for one’s life. Gambling brainwashes people by offering the hope of quick fixes and the creation of false hopes which has never materialized for so many persons. This is contrary to biblical principle which teaches that without vision, people will perish.

6. A distorted value system which gives primacy to the material things of life over human and spiritual values. The bible calls it covetousness which is a lust for the things of this world that is so strong, we will do anything to get what we want, even if we do not need it. The gambling craze is deeply rooted in this distorted value system.

7.  The cultivating of a great love for money. This is probably the biggest sin of the gambling culture because even people who are well of are now caught up in the gambling craze, simply because of a love for money. The scriptures are very clear in stating that it is the love of money that is evil, not money itself

8. The gambling culture is creating a breeding ground for criminal lifestyles and dishonesty. This is a long-term consequence which we are already dealing with. People who no longer desire to work hard will always look for easy ways to acquire the things of life. At this point, many will turn to a life of crime or dishonesty.

9. The gambling industry will not challenge the natural creativity and potential productivity of the Jamaican people. It is rather unfortunate that now, even some banks who should be using their resources to promote the principles of saving and investment are now preying on the get-rich-quick mentality with all kinds of bonanzas while contributing to the dormancy of the Jamaican potential to be a creative and industrious society.

10. Finally, gambling is basically a deceptive transfer of resources from the poor to the rich. The $17.4 million dollars that was collected by the BGLC last year came out of the pockets of poor, uniformed people. There is no way that this can be pleasing to God or seen as good for the long term benefit of the country.

 It is now up to the authorities that be to make the right decisions in the interest of the generations to come inspite of the short-term gains reported by the BGLC.

 IV: Summary.

• Again, the expansion of gambling is not the way out of the present economic crisis. The economic team in my organization has developed excellent ideas for the development of the Jamaican economy. This is available for anyone who wants to look at it.
• If a decision is made to expand the gambling industry, learn as much as possible from the nations who have now set the necessary back-up structures in place.
• I recommend the studies of the Nova Scotia Department of Health & Addiction Services of Canada, conducted by the Focal Research Consultants – focal@focalresearch.com and the research of Paul Bellringer of England at www.gamcare.org.uk.

I am, etc.

Wesley Boynes

Obligation to punish

THE RECENT hangings in Trinidad of nine convicted killers has once more brought the issue of capital punishment to the forefront of national attention. It has been reported that there are 44 inmates on Death Row in Jamaica. This is a disgrace of international proportions in light of the size of Jamaica. The dismissal of the death penalty as 'cruel and unusual punishment' is a great mistake which will cost the soul of this nation if we do not make amends quickly.

Anyone who seriously thinks about crime, thinks of punishment as a deterrent - except for our sociologists and many prominent talk show hosts. Studies in the USA a few years ago showed that eight murders would be prevented for every one execution. The same study reported that 99.9 per cent of murderers prefer life imprisonment to death ...what is feared most deters most!

But the death penalty, apart from being a deterrent to sin, was instituted by God as a penalty for murders. In Jamaica, the value for human life seems to be falling at the same rate as the dollar. We need to understand that an assault upon man's life is a virtual assault upon the life of God. In other words, the institution of capital punishment is grounded in the fact that the Divine Image constitutes man's uniqueness. This fact has not been suspended.

The human rights organizations in Jamaica and around the world continue to make the mistake of wrongly equating retribution with vengeance. To exact retribution is to fit the punishment to the crime in accord with the requirements of justice and the Lord God.

Having 44 inmates on Death Row is a horrible testimony which shows the value this nation puts on life. No crime is as extreme and, as concerns the victim, none is as irremediable as the crime of taking life itself. Capital punishment is therefore and should be an institution of permanent obligation in this country.

I hope that for the good of the nation, Mr. Patterson will walk the talk and follow the example of Trinidad. The main purpose of civil government is preserving and promoting 'life' and peace among the citizens. It is then the duty of the government to see to it that all murderers receive the death penalty. "For, the lips of a ruler are to speak the Word of God; and his mouth should not betray justice" Proverbs 16:10.

The Bible instructs us that nations who fail to enforce capital punishment will be harshly judged by God.

Nothing shows the moral bankruptcy of a people or of a generation more than disregard for the sanctity of human life. And it is this same rotting of our moral fibre that appears in the plea for the abolition of the death penalty and the scenario of 44 murderers sitting high and dry in Jamaica.

It is the sanctity of life that validates the death penalty for the crime of murder. The deeper our regard for life the firmer will be our hold upon the penal sanction which the violation of that sanctity merits.

I am, etc.

WESLEY BOYNES

God's purpose for ganja

THIS LETTER is an open letter to our Prime Minister, his Government and the leaders of the private sector.

Last night (Wed. 17th) I heard the newscaster announcing that American scientists or doctors were on the verge of a breakthrough in discovering medicinal uses in the marijuana plant. This discovery is raising much debate among the medical and political circles in the US.

I would like to encourage the leaders of our country to take the lead in discovering all the treasures and purposes which God has placed in the marijuana plant. But where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. We have a problem. We are still trapped with colonial mentality which says wait until folks from the US and England says it's all right then we can use the marijuana plant.

In-depth study

We are sitting on a gold mine. I am challenging our Prime Minister and his Government to utilize all available resources to do in-depth study and research of the marijuana plant. Too much money is spent apprehending people who abuse marijuana. Let's spend some money finding out the God-ordained purposes for this plant.

I challenge the private sector to put their money where their mouth is and support the Government if they are brave enough to accept this challenge. I challenge the religious leaders to express support to such a venture which when it is successful and completed will make Jamaica a very rich nation indeed.

The possibilities are enormous so let us dream big and go for it. Get CARICOM countries involved. They share the same problems that are in Jamaica. God bless Jamaica, land we love.

I am, etc.

WESLEY BOYNES