Everybody likes a good gamble

Photo Credits: CASINO

I am neither a great fan of casinos nor do I despise them. Most of the people who visit such gambling hubs walk in of their own free will. No one forces or persuades them to bet their hard, or not so hard, earned money on a matter of luck. The queue depicting variety of four wheelers parked from Hotel Mandovi to the Rua de Ourem junction (and further on towards KTC bus stand on weekends) shoves one simple fact down our throat – everybody likes to gamble. From super luxury cars to base models of our favorite and affordable Maruti – the class barriers fall apart over a blackjack or teen patti.

However, when government of the state decides to take a rabid gamble over creation of more such ultra-modern and suave exclusive gambling hubs, it concerns everybody. Moreover, it does it when it promised it would never do so. There is no point in blaming the casino lobby. We (government) invited them with open arms. ‘We’ signifies “Prapapsingh Rane and co” of 2006. It was Rane’s cabinet that, out of the blue, decided to flood Mandovi with colorful betting chips. Within no time the DeltIns, Prides and Maharajas conquered the waters of Goa’s capital city. There was huge uproar. Activists like Sabina Martins, consistent in their approach towards such issues, created AAAAG – Aam Aadmi Aurat Against Gambling. They did whatever they could in their limited capacity. But mass hysteria was carefully manufactured by the Bhartiya Janata Party and Manohar Parrikar.

Frankly, I never encountered any resident of Panaji (apart from our typical activists) up in arms against the casinos. Our educated and elite Panajikars never took on the mighty ships. They never formed any association like “Panaji Residents Against Casinos” or something like that. They were cool seeing such “floatels” invading their beloved waters. Most of them even handsomely benefitted from their arrival. But their MLA was angry. He was restless. He couldn’t tolerate the decks in front of his eyes. He took suo-motu cognizance and started an in-depth research and thorough investigation into the permissions given to the off-shore casinos.

He did not stop at protests. He attacked the ruling regime ruthlessly in the assembly. He exposed how most of the rules were flouted to accommodate these off shore behemoths just on the banks of Mandovi. He made us understand the legal definition of “off-shore”. He enlightened us on the parameters that make a ship “seaworthy”. It was an education listening to him. And then it all changed.

We made him the chief minister and he suddenly went into a “safe” mode. The same casinos became a source of revenue and symbol of investor confidence. In turn, they became bigger, mightier and modern. His explanation was “it is like replacing a four pocket jeans with a six pocket.” The six pockets became eight and by now probably they are already into double digits.

The real issue here is not whether people like me want casinos or not. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t like them, I don’t hate them either. When certified adults decide to blow their money on a swirling roulette, you just cannot blame the industry. The point is – our then opposition leader made us believe that he doesn’t want casinos in the Mandovi and he would drag them deep into the sea (beyond five nautical miles in his precise words) in the truest legal definition of the word “off shore”. He felt that revenue earned from casinos industry is “paap” money and the floating ventures are a manifestation of our social evils. And when he attained power, he turned on his own beliefs. He went a step ahead and justified his change of heart and breaking of the promise – he justified betrayal.

One simply cannot justify betrayal; moreover when 1.5 million souls are the victims. Interestingly, with the regime change in 2012, the tables turned. Many of the present and former Congressmen (now with some independent MLAs) launched a barrage of stinging attacks on the casino industry. After a few days they went into hibernation. We all probably know why. One of those activist-politicians candidly told me that an opposition MLA approached him on behalf of his casino masters to call a truce. So not only the ruling, even opposition MLAs decided to roll the dice.

Experience reminds me that Goans are least bothered about casinos. On-shore casinos existed much before these off-shore entities emerged in the River Mandovi. No one agitated against them because they were confined to the eligible five star hotels. When gamblers started flirting with the tides, no one bothered. Our moral compass did not swing wryly seeing those luxury cars around the Adil Shah palace. We were okay. Somehow politicians from all sides lost their composure.

In this election year, we will witness many more agitations led by politicians, a number of press conferences exposing alleged ills resulting out of pervert tourism and lofty speeches reminding us of our moral core. Frankly, all these men will derive hefty benefits out of this exercise. Except maybe those who gamble (and there are exceptions here too), those who patronise casinos and those who fiercely oppose them – will rake in lot of moolah.

A piece of unsolicited advice: let us not get fooled once again. Let us not get carried away on those high moral grounds that we lose sight of reality.

Pramod Acharya is Editor, Prudent Media