Recently, the brawl happened in one of the bookmaking offices, in which one of the participants died, gives an opportunity to once again speak of the existence of such institutions. Casinos are banned in Yerevan, which certainly is very good. But can anyone explain to me what is the difference between bookmaking office and casinos? It seems to me that it is the same “game of chance” because offering a bet for the process of sporting events or an outcome is as much a “matter of chance” as all the attributes of the gambling halls, starting from the cards up to “one-handed rider”. The bookmaking offices, above all, deface the notion of the sports as a fair and beautiful competition. In particular, announcing “game of chancers’” rate before or during the football match, it seems to me, spoils the whole impression of the match.
Both “classic” and “sports” casinos are unacceptable for me, primarily because the people get the illusion of easily and unearned income. In a poor country like ours, casino or bookmaking office is not only a place for the small number of rich to spend money, but also for the poor, allegedly a means of solving their social problems. I say “allegedly” because it is excluded for a person to be able to provide a dignified life by offering bets. People go to casinos mortgaging their wedding rings, cars and homes, thus depriving of everything, because they give rise to the illusion of earning money in this way, and ultimately, the mania of the game.
In addition, it is apparent that the casinos and bookmaking offices provide the criminal money flows. Here, it is almost impossible to control the ins and outs of the money, now come and understand who staked how much and what he won. The turnover of totally “black” with all its consequences. When our state mature to the extent that begins demanding not only formal and nothing-to-say declarations on revenues, but also the declarations on expenses of public servants and parliamentarians, and we ask the bureaucrat about how he has built a mansion worth of one million dollars by his half a million dollars salary per month, then in this case, he will not be able to say, “I won at the casino,” and bring a document from the casino. The documents of on-line casinos should not be accepted as a substantiation too.
Consequently, the state must make two steps. Firstly, equalize the bookmaking offices to the casinos and take them out of Yerevan, to the same places where the casinos are allowed to be. But most importantly, prohibit the access of the citizens of Armenia to casinos and bookmaking offices, let the tourists spend their money there, if they wish to. In fact, such a thing is done in a number of countries.
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Aram ABRAHAMYAN
