The new law intended to regulate gambling is currently being debated in parliament. J’accuse has often taken a stand criticising the hypocritical policy approach towards gambling taken by government. On the one hand it attempts to attract the investment of internet gaming companies (and ancillary revenues) and on the other it stands on the moral high ground shaking an angry finger at those men fixated in the one-armed bandits and other slot machines. We are pleased to note that we are not alone in denouncing the contradictions of the PN government (see “Game Off” by DCG on today’s Malta Independent).
Daphne is right to worry when minister Dalli suddenly gets a big brotherly urge to find out who is gambling and who is not. As if we did not have enough worries about PLPN’s blatant abuse of Data Protection and personal information all we need is a government body with a list of known gamblers. Sad as it may be, if gambling is accepted as a legal business then we cannot have a situation where the PLPN horde possess information about individuals that may be used in some sort of moral blackmail exercise.
For the record, here are some of J’accuses’s previous posts on the matter:
J’accuse: The Rule of Law is a Gambling Act (Indy & Blog) – 10th August 2009
When the rule of Law is a Gambling Act – 7th August 2009
Of Leopards and their Spots (see heading “Values (adapting them)”) – 15th March 2009
