REX CHOOKOLINGO

I HAVE visited Las Vegas - the megalopolis of gambling - and, closer to home, Atlantic City. While I am not a gambler per se (I was there on business), in Las Vegas I was fascinated and enthralled by the ambiance of the city and the big-name entertainers who played there year-round, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and David Copperfield. However, I was not beguiled by the allure of bells and lights of their one-armed bandits, who beckoned to me as I strode through the gambling halls on my way to their top-notch restaurants.

But right here at home, did TT inadvertently cause a rise in crime by introducing legal gambling some 50-odd years ago under the Eric Williams PNM government? While some may view gambling as a harmless pastime, gambling is seen by psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health professionals as addictive, socially destructive, and eventually the cause of profound antisocial behaviour.

'The behaviour leads to problems for the individual, families and society. Adults and adolescents with gambling disorders have trouble controlling their gambling. They will continue even when it causes significant problems' - American Psychiatric Association.

'Gambling can cause low self-esteem, stress, anxiety and depression if gambling becomes a problem. Gambling can become an addiction, just like drugs or alcohol, if you use it compulsively or feel out of control. Gambling can affect the part of our brain that releases dopamine' - Mental Health Foundation.

'Science explains this propensity. The (US) National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted research into the development of the human brain in the 1990s. The NIH researchers found that the human brain is already 90 per cent of its adult size by the age of six. By the age of 12, the human brain is the same size as an adult brain.

'Development is far from complete at age 12, though. Myelin, the 'white part of the brain,' still is nowhere near adult levels. Myelin insulates neurons while increasing the speed of axons. Essentially, the brain synapses are not at full strength and efficiency, so they are not used as much as an adult would use them.

'Thus, until the age of 25, the human brain is much more likely to develop good and bad habits. Twenty-five is the average age of maturity, so some people's brains mature at 21, while others' brains mature at 29. In short, science provides evidence that people in the 18-29 age group are more likely to exhibit reckless behaviour in general, meaning they're also more likely to develop bad habits while gambling' - yale.edu

In June 2021, the PNM Government under Dr Rowley updated the gambling law to introduce a gambling regulator - 'lawmakers in Trinidad and Tobago approved the Gambling Control Bill of 2021. A total of 24 senators voted in favour of the bill, including the nine independent senators. The six opposition senators abstained' - casino.org

Did any of these parliamentarians research the adverse effects that putting legalised gambling into the public domain would have on the po