Dear Editor

The Gambling Control Authority postulating that parents should make sure their children under the age of 21 are not allowed to gamble is ironic especially in light of the same Authority allowing TV 1 to bring gambling into the homes of Samoa through TV Bingo.

The whole idea of the latest revision and enforcement of the Gambling Act was to create an environment that would discourage gambling and allow the Authority to better control all forms of gambling by especially minors and those who can the least afford to gamble. 

Allowing bingo into the homes is the Gambling Control Authority at odds with what should be one of its core responsibilities – ‘the protection of the vulnerable from the negative impacts of gambling’. 

As for the perpetrators of TV bingo, it’s not about parents staying home and gambling from their living rooms. 

It’s not about all the banners and whatever you put on show asking the underage not to gamble. 

It’s all about your Trust making money and creating a culture of gambling within the most economically susceptible sector of society. 

To put it bluntly, you are taking money from the poor and the vulnerable. 

You should be ashamed of yourselves for doing that.

Tuatagaloa Alfred Schwalger