BY: IZAL MAHAT

While there must not be a blanket ban on all forms of legal gambling in the country, there should also be no avenue or opportunity for gambling operators or anyone to promote or encourage it among people.

People must not be denied access to gambling activities, instead they should have the option to decide for themselves how to gamble, how much time and money to spend on this pastime and to play responsibly.

Those who play responsibly also do not indulge and play within their limits as they have consciousness and control or they are “gamble aware” and have their game in place and checked and balanced at all times.

If not, by letting themselves go they can suffer a lot of pain, hurt and misery when their gambling is not in check and this can affect their work, business or studies, their relationships, their health and very obviously their finances.

There must be that awareness also that gambling is habit forming and can become addictive and lead to compulsion and when this happens a gambler can lose control over their life and not be able to assert control over his habit.

If at all people want to gamble they must do so for some fun and excitement or just to earn a residual income as it should be considered merely as a social pastime and not a way to get rich or to earn a living.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher