Society

NSW State Government Keno plans draws rebuke from the community

The plan to introduce Keno lottery machines into hotels in New South Wales by the State Government has drew condemnation from both politician and the state welfare group, as a recent survey shows that 43 percent of participants believed playing lottery is a sin.

The plan to introduce Keno lottery machines into hotels in New South Wales by the State Government has drew condemnation from both politician and the state welfare group, as a recent survey shows that 43 percent of participants believed playing lottery is a sin.

The Acting Director of the Council of Social Service of NSW, Linda Frow, described the introduction of the lottery machine as a form of ‘pollution’ that would turn off many hotel patrons.

“Keno is an intrusive form of gambling that will permeate the atmosphere of hotels. Just when we’ve got rid of smoking, along comes another form of pollution. This will be a real turn off for many hotel patrons who go to pubs to socialise,” she said.

The Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, has also denounced the State Government plans to allow Clubs NSW to introduce these gambling machines, telling the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the profit is generated mostly from problem gamblers.

In an Internet survey conducted by ChristiaNet, the largest Christian portal site, 43 percent of the 1800 people who partook in the survey stated that since playing the lottery was gambling so thus it was a sin.

Some responded with statement such as, “Playing the lottery is gambling and gambling is a sin.” The most common response to the question of whether it is a sin for Christians to play lottery, was centred on the fundamental belief that Christians should rely on God for their material needs.

There were 31 percent of those who took part in the survey who were unsure about their answer while 26 percent of respondents believed it was not a sin for Christians to play the lottery.

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