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Concerns Arise Over For South Africa's New Casino21 March 2001SOUTH AFRICA – March 21, 2001—As reported by the BBC: "When one walks into the magnificent new Grand West Casino complex you cannot help but be struck by the vibrant atmosphere inside what has become one of Cape Town's most popular entertainment venues. "The first casino to be licensed in Cape Town is one of only three in the Cape. "…Under apartheid only horse racing was legal giving rise to casinos like Sun City in so called independent homelands. "The government has been gradually relaxing restrictions since then and competition has been fierce for the few licences that have come up. "…Capetonians from all walks of life have been flocking to Grand West, but questions are increasingly being asked about the social implications. "…In terms of its licence conditions, the casinos have had to establish a hotline staffed by trained counsellors to assist problem gamblers and it has been fielding 500 calls per month. "…One regular at Grand West told me that people have become increasingly desperate to recoup their losses on the casino floor. "…Pawn shops in the nearby business district of Vasco have also reported an increase in business. Uncle Bob, as he prefers to be known, says his shop has doubled its customers since the casino opened in December. "…With the unemployment rate believed to be as high as 30%, gambling has become an attractive option to many desperate people to get rich quickly…" |