The Sunday TimesPlus

1st December 1996

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The dice of power:

what's on the cards for legalised gambling?

By Edward Gunawardena.

In Sri Lanka gambling is not of recent origin. Lotteries, gaming, cheetus, cock-fighting, chariot racing and even the guzzling of toddy for wagers had been so much a part of life, that it had become necessary for the British administrators to introduce statutes such as the Lotteries Ordinance, the Gaming Ordinance and the Cheetu Ordinance. Most of these laws other than perhaps the betting on Horse Racing Act date back to the last century.

However, all these laws have not been able to eradicate gambling or contain the gambling instinct of man. Gambling, which had been at one time openly indulged in, has only been subdued, to a certain extent. "Baby Cutting" or "Booruwa" continues to be a popular card game for stakes particularly in the villages while poker, bridge, tombola, darts and even snooker and billiards are played for stakes even at exclusive clubs in Colombo. "American Auctions" which certainly have an element of gambling are often conducted at temple functions to collect funds. Lotteries (other than state lotteries) are also common, with even some banks resorting to this device to attract depositors.

For a considerable period of time, successive governments have been collecting revenue from enterprises which are strictly speaking not legal. It is a fact that betting on horse racing is being openly conducted in every nook and corner of the island with the government collecting taxes from such business concerns. However, the betting on Horse Racing Act has not been repealed. It continues to remain in the statute book. A police officer will be well within his legal rights if he raids any betting centre and takes the persons involved together with the "instruments of betting" before a court of law.

The only state lotteries which are functioning under an Act of Parliament are the lotteries conducted by the National Lotteries Board. Many people are ignorant of this fact. The Lotteries Ordinance, as many erroneously believe, is not the governing law. The National Lotteries Board, by the Finance Act No 38 of 1963 became the successor to the Hospital Lotteries Board which was the brainchild of the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. Sir Richard Aluvihara, a former Inspector-General of Police and High Commissioner in India was the first Chairman of this Board.

The National Lotteries Board is by law required to:

a) Credit all its profits to the Consolidated Fund. It has no right to allocate any money for any specified purpose.

b) Set aside a specified percentage from the sales of tickets as prize money.

c) Pay a specified percentage of the proceeds of sales to the Agents as commission;.and

d) Conduct its prize draws in public. This effectively prohibits the Board to conduct "Scratch and match" or Instant Lotteries.

In 1989 when I was the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, the President of the time requested the Board to take over all the other lotteries that were being openly conducted by other state agencies. These were the Sevana and Development Lotteries. Before taking a decision I consulted the Attorney- General and the Auditor-General. The former was of the view that those lotteries were illegal as they had not been set up by any Act or Acts of Parliament. The latter flatly refused to audit the accounts of such lotteries as they had no legal status. My advice to the President was that an amendment to the Act No 38 of 1963 was required if the National Lotteries Board was to take over the Sevana and Development Lotteries. However no further action was taken and the status quo remains to date.

State Lotteries are very popular today. In fact the country is inundated with lotteries to such an extent that frauds and other malpractices have become a distinct possibility.

Frauds can prove disastrous to the lottery industry. As such it is imperative that all state lotteries be regularized, monitored and controlled by statute, audited by the Auditor-General and brought within the supervisory control of Parliament through the Parliamentary committee on public enterprises. (COPE). It is also necessary to ensure that the country is not swamped by large numbers of diverse lotteries.

The case for casinos rests on the fact that gambling has come to be accepted as an industry in many parts of the world. In some countries public betting extends to even sports such as Boxing, Motor-Racing, Soccer, Cricket and Golf. Monte Carlo, Las Vegas and Acapulco draw millions of tourists from all parts of the world, mainly because of their casinos and other gambling attractions. They are in fact different worlds where minors and the indigent are conspicuous by their absence. Even in conservative Great Britain where the Anglican Church is opposed to gambling, betting on horse racing and football pools are a national pastime. The Queen, notwithstanding the fact that she is the defender of the faith lends her patronage to horse racing not merely by her royal presence at the Derby Classic but also by owning a string of race horses.

Even in predominantly Buddhist and Islamic cultures, inspite of the efforts of religious and other leaders, gambling and the consumption of alcoholic drinks do exist. None can deny the fact that there are people who call themselves Buddhists or Muslims who own and operate betting shops and wine shops. In fact it was not long ago that two or three leading Muslim businessmen had a virtual monopoly of the betting industry in this country. Statistically, a large number of Muslims have had windfalls at lotteries which indicate that many of them are regular buyers of lottery tickets. What's more, every man on the street knows that it is the Sheikhs of the oil rich middle-Eastern Muslim world who are the kings of the English turf today.

Public agitation against casinos began to build up, eventually leading to their temporary closure mainly because of their foreign domination, with a person by the name of Jo Sim playing a dominant role. The agitation gathered swift momentum because the earnings from casinos began to be siphoned out of the country and the public concern about leading politicians getting linked to the big time operators, particularly Jo Sim. At the same time the resentment to jackpot machines also gathered momentum mainly because school children too began trying their luck in a big way. These are certainly sound lessons from recent history which our present day politicians should not chose to ignore.

What government needs to do by legislation is to tighten controls over the expatriation of proceeds by gambling. Even in a market economy, it is prudent to differentiate between industries that contribute to the development and well being of the country and industries that can have a debilitating effect on society. The dividing line between the gambling industry and the narcotics trade is indeed a very thin one. Effective mechanisms will have to be set up for the monitoring of all gambling transactions. It needs to borne in mind that even terrorist organizations could make use of these opportunities for the laundering of money obtained from illegal activities such as the narcotics trade.

From the point of view of collection of revenue, a percentage levy on the earnings of casinos based on a computerized verification system may be more realistic than a uniform tax of Rs 5 million on every casino. To successfully operate ninety casinos will also by no means be an easy task. Culturally, Sri Lanka has not got the capacity to provide the "peripheral perks" that attract affluent, pleasure seeking tourists. Of course some may argue that there is nothing to prevent such commodities being imported from places such as Bangkok or Manila! The principle to be followed should be the taxation of winnings either way. This is similar to the collection of "THONG" by the organizers of gambling in the villages. There have been numerous instances of such people becoming successful and socially accepted businessmen in later life. In betting on horse racing the government could consider a tax on every betting slip depending on the value of the bet, as is being at present done in Britain.

A word of caution. When the state begins to legalize vice whether it be gambling, liquor or prostitution, particularly by way of licensing many openings are created for corruption. Licensing going by favour can lead to dangerous consequences, such as gang warfare. Unless there is a level playing field for all interested in the vice related business, Mafia type organizations are bound to take a foothold and rupture the social fabric sooner or later. Care needs to be taken to prevent the growth of parallel underground economies.

Within the sociological frame work of our country there certainly appears to be a tolerable limit for the conducting of legalized gambling operations. Government must be alive to this and not allow the gambling industry to develop into a monstrosity. It is indeed tragic that most governments care less if the revenue keeps coming in. What better examples than liquor and tobacco? Leaders have a great moral obligation by the nation. In the pursuit of short term benefits, often for the mere sake of survival in power, the country's long term interests should not be put at risk.


Let the aroma blend and linger on

By Chamila Jayaweera

"Aromystique" introduces an ancient art to promote the well being of the mind and body

The word "Aroma-therapy" brings visions of beautiful maidens in Arabia sinking into luxurious pools of scented oils, inhaling the smooth rich fragrance, while their skin soakes up the silky texture that emanates from the oil.

Aromatherapy did in fact have some importance in the exotic east, where records show that primitive skills were employed as far back as 5000 years ago to use aromatic herbs to both cleanse and heal the mind and body.

In Egypt, where dead kings and royal families were preserved in their extravagant tombs, oils of Cedarwood and Frankincense were used in the embalming process. Ayurvedic medical texts from early Indian society include aromatic essences in many of their treatments. Subsequent civilisations, notably the Greeks and Romans, developed the use of these essences in rituals and religious ceremonies.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century scientific experiments into the anti-bacterial properties of plants led to a variety of synthetic chemical equivalents being produced instead of the plant essences themselves.

However, the early twentieth century brought a revival of interest in natural products and treatments.

A chemist known as "Gattfosse" who wrote the first modern book on Aromatherapy discovered after seriously burning his hand that lavendar was a wonderful healer of burns. French biochemist Marguerite Maury introduced essential oils into the beauty therapy world where they were used in conjunction with massage for their rejuvenating effects on the skin.

In summary then, Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, obtained from plants to promote the health and well being of the mind and body. And as Kishani Gunawardena puts it.... "An ancient art for modern day lifestyles."

The 27-year-old Finance Manager turned therapist claims she fell in love with the world of Aroma- therapy. Having obtained a Diploma in Aromatherapy at Shirley Price Ltd., Aromatherapy England, an international college with affiliations around the world, she had now opened a clinique.... appropriately christened "Aromystique".

Located in a quiet lane in the heart of Wellawatta the clinic is an ideal place to relax and unload stress. Soothing music pipes out on the airwaves, and the aroma is sweet and refreshing.

Kishani explained what essential oils were all about. The natural substance of the living element of a plant, essential oils are actually the "hormonesÕ"of the plant and are present only in very small quantities, sometimes as little as 0.01% of a plant. She emphasized the fact that it would take at least ten large buckets of Orange blossom to extract a mere thimblefull of Neroli oil.

Extracted from various parts of plants, the oils are then distilled and all volatile properties are extracted. Each oil has unique healing properties and is complete in itself.

Here Kishani stressed however that the oils were rarely used directly on the skin, and even then as in extreme cases such as snake bite, it has to be applied by a properly qualified person.

When asked as to what pathways the essential oils entered the body, Kishani explained that there were two principle routes: the olfactory system (through inhalance) and the skin. This she termed a holistic approach, where the oils affected both the mind and the body.

A range of tiny bottles with intriguing names were on display at the salon. Tipping a little bit of it onto a tissue, Kishani pointed out the soothing and powerful smell that wafted out. "A lot of the Aromatherapy oils available in Supermarkets and beauty care stores, are often not of good quality", she said. "They are manufactured cheaply and sold in large quantities, and most customers are fooled by them".

At Aromystique, which officially opens to the public in January, Kishani first holds a consultation with her patients. "I want them to know what this is all about, so that they can then even practise self- therapy at home. After this, I do an indepth analysis of the client, taking in information about their diet, previous diseases and allergies and other small tips that will help me to form an idea of the person I am treating", Kishani said.

She also practises reflexology a study which involves the feet, where she says are located certain pressure points which are linked to all the organs in the body.

Both feet kept together, she demonstrated how to form an identical map of the body.

Through this, it was possible for her to locate any pains and aches in the body, and decide where the root of the problem was. Stress factors and emotional problems could add a great deal to most physical ailments, according to Kishani.

Following this the next step is to select essential oils that are designed to help one's emotional well being as well as physical state and symptoms of disease.

A specialised massage technique which helps relieve stress and tension, drains lymphatic fluids and improves circulation to rejuvanate the body, removing aches and pains.

A facial treatment to help general congestion and problems such as acne blackheads or excessive dryness is also carried out. A regular treatment every 4-6 weeks along with self-help at home helps one to remain relaxed throughout, and is also effective against such diseases like Asthma, Arthritis, Cellulite, Dandruff, hair loss, scars and more. Chronic conditions like Sinusities, Bronchitis and leg cramps can also be alleviated by a healthy massage.

Patients are free though, to decide whether they want a full body treatment or prefer to get certain parts of the body treated, since most people opted for this, as Kishani had noticed.

The young Aroma-therapist was also specific about her patients liking the aroma of the specific oil that was suitable for their body chemistry. And what did she do if they were not partial to the smell? "I simply add a drop of another oil which they do like and let the fragrance of that blend in and linger", Kishani smiled.

Continue to Plus page 3 -Henfold: Lindula's dream mansion * 'Yakko buggers' like us are not paid to think * A truly post colonial novel

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