Gambling, Betting?

Gambling is a big ‘No-No’ in Indonesia. Categories of gambling: football bets, toto/ lotto, casino etc.

The reason: gambling will damage Indonesian morale further, and is forbid in Islamic teaching.
Is that so?
Malaysia is one of Islamic Country has Genting High Land, a paradise for gambler and an entertaining weekend passage for families with fantastic theme parks and up scale hotels, Singapore, rule stricken country, soon to be will have Casinos on Sentosa Island and Marina Bays and so many Cruises which also as on board Casino are eying potential customer from Indonesia. Monaco, Macau, Las Vegas are some examples of up scale gambling cities which their main economic structure are from casinos, so well managed, and the morale of their people are fine.
So what’s the fuss?
Even the authorities has banned all kinds of gambling in Indonesia, still the rich ones will spend their dimes on another countries and on cruises, so, who is losing here?

Since 2004/2005 after gambling was banned, Bantam, used to be one of the very prospective free-trading provinces in Indonesia, the economic has hit the bottom. From previous surveyed with local people, almost 80% of the economic has been doldrums. Hotels, apartments, real estates, restaurants were hit by the effect. Unemployment has increasing drastically. Local economic structures are spiraling downward.

Let’s be frank and a bit open minded here:
Casino can liven up infrastructure surrounding them; which employs lot of local people, from executive managerial jobs to cleaning services or office boys. Uncountable hawkers stall will grow on the streets around them, including ojek, bajaj, taxis and even hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars etc. Of cause there’ll be some negative impact such as growing prostitution, drugs dealer etc but as Chinese Wisdom Saying: To keep in harmony, just balancing Ying and Yang, So, with the right management, it all can be settle. Totally banned is absolutely useless and wasteful, as even gambling is banned, monies will fly to other countries.

And how can you banned a group of people watching one sports or event such as footballs, basket balls, boxing from putting bet? Betting has been part of cultures for centuries. Indonesian people so accustomed with ‘karapan sapi’ or ox racing, ‘sabung ayam’ or cocks fight, ‘buru celeng’ or pig hunting, also dog fight, birds whistle competitions, to erase it is similar not acknowledge own culture, right?

For my point of view (mind you, I’m not a gambler, not even football lover, never put any bets in Indonesia just bought a few lotto in Aussie) the authorities better using men powers, full forces, to catch drugs dealer , illegal logger, misused HPH by oil palm companies which’re more destructive then gamblers or bet-ers. Or even better, trying hard to clean up insider corrupted law enforcement.

By deforestation, the effect not only oneself on one family which gambling would cause but the whole world ecosystem and the lost are so much and irreversible.

Casino owner would also try to ‘clean up’ moneys by making large amount of donations or even better built ‘charities organizations. Mostly all of plantation owner felt they are doing ‘clean business’ only put aside some money just to avoid taxes or to be acknowledging by societies. Blah…who’s more dignity here?