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Journalism of Courage
Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Wednesday passed a landmark bill to legalise gambling to revive its tourism industry that has suffered from 25 years of civil war.
Lawmakers approved the legislation with 114 voting for and 33 against to empowering President Mahinda Rajapakse,who is also the minister of finance,to grant licences to set up betting establishments in “specified areas.”
Deputy finance minister Sarath Amunugama said the government hopes to regulate gambling and use it to boost tourism,which has increased sharply since May last year after the end to the country’s ethnic conflict.
Amunugama said the government has identified several Singaporean firms which were keen to set up glitzy gambling operations targeting high spending tourists. He did not name the Singapore firms.
However,opposition lawmakers said the gaming zones established by the legislation will effectively become red-light districts where prostitution will thrive.
“This does not only legalise gambling,but also legalises prostitution,” opposition Jayasekera said adding that the casinos already operating by exploiting loopholes in the law were haunts for prostitutes.
After next year,it will be an offence to operate gambling parlours without a license. Violators will face a fine of USD 5,000 and a five-year jail term.
The bill provides “for the designation of areas in which persons intending to start the business of gaming can set up their establishments”.
