Not too long ago, PM Lee has passed a decision to build an Integrated Resort with the highlight of it being the casino. This has sparked up much public debates and many people have criticized the government for neglecting the social repercussions that will inevitably be brought about. As for myself, I do not support the casino decision either. The social downfalls brought about is much severe than the economic boons brought about. Some of the social downfalls may even infringe the economic boons too.

To begin with, introducing gambling in Singapore causes moral values which had once built up Singapore to decay rapidly. Since Singapore's independence in 1965, sweat and toil has been the building block of Singapore's success, propelling Singapore from a third world country to a first world country, evolving it from an inconspicuous boat to a gigantic ferry in the sea of international recognition. On the other hand, gambling suggests that success can be attained through luck without any toil, except for the trip to the casino of course. Encouraging gambling therefore causes our national beliefs of being hardworking and thrifty to erode away and is incompatible with Singaporeans, who are still stalwart supporters of Confucian beliefs that shaped Singapore into what it is today. Therefore, the government has not considered national interest before passing this policy.

As Singapore continues to advocate gambling legally, the gambling business will grow rapidly, soon causing Singapore be akin to Macau, whose main business is gambling. Although our government promises that such a scenario would not happen, but it is an inevitable fact that gambling will be the major business once started, because gambling achieves success after a short period and we would be addicted to reap even more success by encouraging its growth in Singapore. Presently in Macau, most students are not keen to further their studies because working in local casinoes there would already meet their monthly expenses. Singapore may suffer the same consequence if casinoes were allowed to prosper here.

Moreover, the concept of an integrated resort was published after observing other cities like Macau, Las Vegas and Genting whose casino business brought about much economic prosperity and at the same time functioning well. These cities do not have a conspicuously high crime rate, thus our government felt that we could do the same and benefit from building casinoes. Unfortunately, Singapore is unlike Macau, Las Vegas and Genting. Macau belongs to China, Las Vegas belongs to United States and Genting belongs to Malaysia, while Singapore is a country by itself. It also means that while Macau, Las Vegas and Genting concentrate on gambling, their respective countries are not gambling-centered as a whole, unlike Singapore which would be sucked into the spiral of gambling once it opens casinoes.

Spiralling into a gambling-centered business also means that Singapore's economy is no longer diversified as it was always so. While other well known gambling cities focuses on gambling as their primary source of income, Singapore cannot blindly follow their example. These gambling cities can depend on other states or the whole country for financial assistance lest they fail in their gambling business, while Singapore would not be able to do so, for the simple fact that Singapore is a nation on its own. As mentioned above, gambling would inevitably be Singapore's primary soure of revenue once casinoes are operational. Gambling, like any other entertainment, will lose its popularity one day and Singapore will suffer drastic losses to its economy once that happens. Hence, operating casinoes serve limited economic benefits and even places Singapore in an even more vulnerable position.

Even if we do not consider how gambling will eventually become Singapore's primary source of income, the very fact that social problems will arise once casinoes are open contradicts with the rationale of opening casinoes. The rationale of casinoes does not rest fully on building up Singapore's economy even further, but also to encourage business partners to visit Singapore to host meetings thus improving tourism. When casinoes are open, no matter how much measures are put in place to minimize the common detriments of gambling - organised crimes, loan sharks etc., there are bound to be an increasing trend of them once casinoes are open. Crime rates will increase at a worrying rate and loan sharks would spray more paints and hang more pig's head on doors. More citizens would be oppressed loan sharks or the increasing crime rates, causing the number of suicide cases to increase few folds. As a result, Singapore will be trapped in this vicious series of events and Singapore would become a nearly lawless society which will be dreadfully chaotic and tumultuous. Will business partners and investors come to such a state of anarchy? Therefore, the aim of opening a casino would not be fulfilled and Singapore will deprove economically and socially.

In conclusion, operating casinoes does not serve the improve Singapore economically and would even detrack Singapore from its path of continuing success, because of Singapore's geographical and social disadvantages. Casinoes are an unfeasible option to improve Singapore's economy and therefore, Singapore should search for other avenues to truly upgrade its economy, social and political status and rule out the idea of casinoes completely.