Whenever casinos are proposed or built they are always met with strong opposition. Gambling is a controversial business that has seen its share of detractors since the beginning of time, and rightfully so. There are many aspects of casinos and gambling that can be harmful to society if not controlled properly. To start, gambling can be a destructive personal problem. There is also the opportunity for crimes such as petty theft to embezzlement to cheating to tax evasion. Then there is the social aspect of having a casino in the region. What does it mean to the culture of an area? The history? The natural beauty?
Those types of questions are exactly what the people in Samoa are wondering right now. There is a piece of land that may be granted a casino license, and this is brining development companies from all over the world who want to cash in. While Samoans may enjoy a casino and it could be a boost for tourism, a casino on an island that is synonymous with the beauty of the South Pacific could be counter productive. One Hawaiian company is promising that if they were granted the right to develop the casino result they wold be respectful of the culture and the beauty of the area. “I can assure you, we would probably be more responsible in my mind than anyone else I know from outside of Samoa,” said South Pacific Development Group CEO, Jesse James. He continued that he did not want to see blinking neon signs or anything else that could not be integrated into the culture and environment.
The main opposition for the proposed casino resort is saying that James’ statement is “a real joke.” They are claiming that those who come to Samoa come for the people, the culture, and the natural beauty of the island and not to gamble. Then there is what a casino would mean to the people who actually live in Samoa. This could be one of the most controversial casino resort development projects going on right now
