Press and gambling

Press and gambling

From Warta Kota

Most mass media outlets have carried reports on plans to legalize gambling in the Thousands Islands.

This plan is indeed good as an idea. If gambling was legalized and localized, the regional administration would have money coming into its coffers. Some parties, however, are against the idea, arguing that gambling is against religious teachings. Some people are against the idea not because of any religious objections, but rather because they are afraid that when gambling is legalized their "additional" income will disappear.

Gambling in Jakarta is alluring in terms of the amount of money involved. Reportedly some 40 gambling dens in the city have a total turnover of Rp 200 billion .

At this point, allow me to remind the press not to be drawn into the gambling controversy at the expense of something more dangerous that the nation is now facing.

Media reports have it that the world's biggest ecstasy factory, located somewhere in Tangerang, was recently raided by the police. This raid drew the attention of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) because the production capacity of the factory in Cipondoh, Tangerang, was much larger than the combined capacity of 50 ecstasy factories in the U.S. and Mexico that the DEA has raided.

Unfortunately, there have been few media reports following up on this successful raid, as most media seem to be interested only in carrying reports on gambling.

I'm afraid the plan to legalize gambling has been intentionally introduced to divert the attention of the mass media away from the ecstasy factory raid. Hence there have been almost no follow-up reports on this raid.

BUDI

Jakarta