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{
"id": 1626193,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1626193/?format=api",
"text_counter": 165,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "employed, do not have technical ability to go to school because they are addicted to compulsive gambling. Compulsive gambling is where other behaviour has developed in your entire population; where children from secondary and primary schools start gambling behind the scenes in the black market. You do not have control because they can afford mobile phones. You do not have control of their behaviour, hence they start gambling. Consequently, this starts to impact negatively on their education, concentration in school and start stealing from their parents to gamble. What about a society where the poorest people, who are not even in the middle class, do not focus on their work, but instead spend more time gambling? This will have a ripple effect in the society when you look at their total productivity factor. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in your office, you have employed a number of young people who have just come from college. If they get captured in gambling and as a result fail to pay attention to the work that you have given them to do, what will be the impact in their productivity to what they are supposed to do for you as a Speaker of the Senate? It will have a big impact. That is why we call it compulsive gambling. The negative effect on society is so big that even if you were to collect a lot of taxes nominally, it does not match the money from the taxes. In absolute terms, the money going into gambling is huge. It grows exponentially. Why do we collect taxes? We collect taxes so that the Government can provide services to the people. Now, you are in a situation where you are competing for money that goes to roads, water, affordable housing and Social Health Authority (SHA), and at the same time, you have young people who have developed other vices, which include mental disorders. The Government is now forced to spend on these issues. That is why we call it a regressive tax. You collect a small amount of money compared to what is in the industry. Secondly, the Government will face compulsive problems, which will force it to spend on them. You will have to spend on a population that is not productive, suffers from mental disorders, facing problems of selling their assets and becoming poorer. So, you are getting a tax that is regressive. It will never help you. Gambling should not be a place where a government looks for revenue through taxation. It does not work like that. In fact, if we had stronger counties, gambling would be left to county legislation. Counties could decide the level and form of gambling they allow in order to provide a certain service. It would be used for own-source revenue, not as a substantive tax. This is what happens in the United States of America (USA), especially in states with Red Indians who are struggling. They are allowed to collect limited revenue from very restricted gambling activities. These activities happen in limited areas like Las Vegas. Then, you help the society. Why are we, as legislators, watching this Bill pass right in front of us and letting it go, yet it will have a ripple effect? When you pass it, gambling companies will grow rapidly. Everyone will get involved, including politicians. This is a major issue that the USA, China and other large countries are facing. It leads to political crime. Politicians use it to enhance corruption. It will work just like the mushrooming petrol stations we see The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}