SEVENTY-THOUSAND Cypriots can’t afford to go on holiday every year due to money lost gambling.
That was the verdict of Nicos Rossos, President of the Association Confronting Social Problems (SAKOP), who yesterday spoke about the dangers of the vice.
“The impact of problem gambling is huge,” he explained. “Poor health, debt, imprisonment, job losses, relationship breakdowns and the burden to the public purse are all a reality.”
He added that 70 per cent of Cypriots gamble in the belief that they will become rich, with a small percentage of children admitting to gambling every day.
“Despite Cypriots being encouraged to gamble through the media, they should know that everybody loses in the end,” said Rossos, adding that, “casino barons will never stop pushing for a casino in Cyprus as they have unlimited money to make from it.”
According to the latest statistics supplied by the Finance Ministry, Greek Cypriots spend an average of six million pounds every year in casinos in the north. When the checkpoints opened in 2003, 1.3 million Greek Cypriots travelled to the occupied areas, with nearly 730,000 crossing over so far this year.
“A total of 4.5 million have visited the north in the past three years, mainly to gamble,” said Rossos.
“Cypriot families spend a disproportionate amount of their income on gambling, which deprives them of the necessities of everyday life. For example, 14 per cent of people earning £500 per month spend between £75 and £200 per month on gambling. Harvard University has conducted studies which showed that if a casino were created in the free areas, then one to three per cent of the population would become addicted to gambling.”
According to the SAKOP President, compulsive gamblers behave in the same way as drug addicts and alcoholics and although there are various forms of therapy, which are used to treat the habit in other parts of the world, there is no help available on the island.
Rossos also rubbished claims that a casino would provide job opportunities for the unemployed. “We have conducted studies in casinos in Germany and Denmark and found that most of them employ an average of 63 people, so tell me how are these meagre numbers meant to help reduce unemployment?”
In the United States, Senator John Kyl has warned that electronic gambling will permit anyone, in any place, and at any time to gamble. He adds that the dream of the gambling industry is to transform the whole world into a casino without walls.
SAKOP claims Cyprus has not been immune to attempted bribery by casino bosses. “But if anyone believes that these people will not try again, let them recall the £80 and £100 million spent by casinos lobbying the Blair government to try to secure the doubling of the number of casinos in the UK, which failed because of the strong outcry.”
Here, the government has not yet taken any decision to legalise and set up casinos, but the Cyprus Tourist Organisation has been authorised to carry out studies on the financial, social and tourist aspects.
Rossos believes that the House of Representatives will not give the go-ahead for a casino. “They know very well about all the problems associated with casinos and it’s just not worth adding to all our existing problems.”
How to gamble less
l Decide how much money you can spend on gambling. Don’t take more money with you.
l Decide how much time you can spend on gambling.
l Don’t break your promise because you just want to go on gambling.
l Remember that the chances of losing are always greater than the chances of winning. There is no system that can guarantee winning.
l If you win, stop playing. The longer you play, the more you will probably lose.
l Don’t try to chase your losses by borrowing money to keep playing.
l Avoid places with gaming machines.
l If you can’t make it by yourself, call a friend or a help line.
l If you’re nervous or feeling sick when not gambling, you should change habits immediately.
l Make a list of reasons why you should not gamble and look at it when you feel an urge to play.
