Gambling Is a Benefit to Guyanese Society

As far as my memory serves me, I have witnessed men yelling at both each other and television screens, which were fixed on sternly glopping horses; cock fights flaring in backyards and dices bouncing on tables with large crowds engaged in what is seemingly a thread in the fabric of Guyanese culture. This is, the action of gambling, which, has over the year proven itself beneficial to society.

Gambling, derived from the word Gamble is defined by Dictionary.com as ‘a venture in a game of chance for stakes, especially for high stakes.

This ‘venture’ is practiced by members of all generation, racial background and class as a mode of relaxation and recreation. ‘Chic Chic’, ‘Three Cards’ and other popular casino games are often displayed at community social event with unfailing large numbers of participants. These persons use this opportunity as a means of relaxation and enjoyment. However, Gambling has also exhibited health benefits in addition to it recreational character. The thought of health benefits being derived from a gambling game may sound queer, but according to a study done at Yale School of Medicine by Associate Professor of Psychiatry Rani Desai, herself and colleagues discovered that older adult recreational gamblers were more likely to report alcohol use and better health than were older non-gamblers.

However, the resounding benefit of these recreational events does not end at their relaxing abilities; they surpass this and touch the economical arenas.

In 2010, when Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean were scheduled to host World Cup Cricket matches, the Guyanese Government ceased the opportunity to introduce a formal mode of gambling by means of a casino at the Princess Hotel. By doing this they attempted to expand and develop tourism in the country. Increasing the both the tourism market and economical standing of the country as the revenue from this base pours in.

The President at time, Mr Barrat Jagdeo in the Sunday edition of the Guyana Chronicle, dated 21 March 2010, expressed his commented on the benefits that would evolve from the casino, when he stated that, “a country like