Prabhuran Lakhanran, newspaper vendor – `I don’t like that at all because gambling is not good. Before it was voted on the politicians should have taken the concerns raised by the religious community seriously. Gambling can stray the youths and bring more poverty to Guyana. I don’t believe that gambling can do any good for this country. Guyana is too small to have casinos. Added to that there is not enough money circulating around to sustain this type of industry’.
Sarah Marques, unemployed – ‘Guyana is too small for casinos especially when we are facing VAT. The casino bill should have nevder been passed in Parliament. Gambling is not a good thing because it can lead to poverty and more criminal activities. I don’t see any positives coming from gambling. I think that they are hustling with the casino issue because Cricket World Cup is near. I think that there is the belief that if we have casinos then more tourists will be attracted here during the event.’
Carlos Joseph, miner – ‘I think it will be nice for our country. We will have a lot of visitors in our country for Cricket World Cup so they will welcome the casinos, which will provide them with some entertainment. I can’t say if Guyana is ready for this type of activity but I don’t see any negatives in it. I personally don’t believe that casinos can lead to poverty and crimes. I think that Guyanese should be allowed into the casinos to take part in the entertainment.’
George Blair, businessman – `I am against it because it will encourage crime, lead to poverty and affect people’s domestic lives. That bill should not have been passed. The politicians should have listened to the advice given by the religious community before passing it. They are probably rushing it because Cricket World Cup is coming up but they should also look beyond that. They need to look at how it will affect the population once the cricketing event is over.’
Priya Jaikarran, cashier – `In a way it is good but it is also bad. Casinos, which encourage gambling, help to pull people down and put their lives at risk. I don’t think Guyana is ready for casinos and the things that come with it. More thought should have been put into it before the bill was passed. The concerns raised by the people should have also been taken into consideration before they agreed to the bill.’
Benita Smith, UG student – `I don’t think that it should have been passed because the country is facing financial difficulties. Gambling can lead to crime and poverty. They should have listened to the religious leaders before they decided to agree on the bill and have it passed in Parliament. This bill should have never being brought up because Guyana is just not ready for casinos.’
Nadita Raman, trainee teacher – `This country is not ready for a casino. It can lead to violence and criminal activities. I believe that it is too early for us to be thinking about gambling. It should have never been in anyone’s mind in the first place. They should have also listened to the religious leaders before they passed the bill.’
Jermaine Harris, student – `I don’t think that Guyana is ready for gambling. The focus should instead be on developing our communities and the roads among other things. I believe that the bill should not have been passed in the first place. My pastor Bishop Francis had petitions that he was giving people to sign in protest over the bill. I signed one and I even helped to share them out. I agree with all the concerns raised by the religious communities.’
Rabendra Willie, spray painter – `We are not ready for it. It should not have even been considered because we have lots of priorities in Guyana that need to be looked at urgently. Just gambling and losing your money all the time are what casinos are all about. I am against the idea of having casinos here in Guyana.’
Elizabeth Johnson, teacher – `In my opinion the bill should not have been passed. Gambling is not something good. It has a lot of negative effects on a population, for example crime, domestic violence and suicide. When people lose money they get frustrated and that is when all the negative things begin to happen. Some of these people who voted in favour of this bill are in some religion and they should have known better themselves. They are saying that it is for the upcoming Cricket World Cup but what will happen when that event is over? It doesn’t make sense to have the casinos as a short-term thing. When the event is finished Guyanese will take over the casinos.’
