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Gambling
– amongst the three Abrahamic faiths, it is strictly forbidden.
However, despite the religious injunctions on the practice and
time-honored societal taboos, gambling is surging in popularity and
has become, in many parts of the United States as well as around the
world, a form of mainstream entertainment.
From
the French Riviera to the fountains of Las Vegas, casinos are
becoming a travel destination for high-rollers and family
vacationers alike. Even the Muslim world surprises with its own
gambling culture, as did the unlikely locale of Palestine in 1998
when it was proposed that a casino be built near Jericho as a
tourist attraction.
But
this trend towards speculative endeavors has not been a simple case
of consumer leisure time demand spurring supply of these forms of
entertainment. Rather, there has been a concerted effort on the part
of the gambling industry to snare new customers. Leading the charge
has been Las Vegas.
Appropriately
nicknamed “Sin City”, Las Vegas has been a hotbed for gambling
for decades. Beginning in the 1950s with the Mafia’s interest in
the latest “growth industry”, gambling took hold in Vegas and
quickly began attracting mainstream America. By blurring the line
between vice and virtue, the Mob was able to slowly whittle away at
traditional resistance to institutionalized gaming. By bringing
entertainment acts such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Robert Goulet
and Liza Minelli to town, mafia bosses helped visitors feel less
like back alley craps shooters and more like regular tourists. This
strategy of the Vegas of old has not been lost on the new kings of
Sin City.
Nowadays,
people can see circus shows, marvel at the pyramids, take in a
boxing match or enjoy the amenities of resort life. For those with
more prurient interests, legalized prostitution is just beyond the
city limits. There are even places in Las Vegas that so thoroughly
mimic other parts of the world and other fantastical existences that
visitors can become completely swept away by the illusion – all
this as a smokescreen for the vice of gambling.
But
as gambling increases in its popularity, advertisers are becoming
more emboldened.
In
a recent television commercial paid for by the Las Vegas Conventions
and Visitors Authority (www.vegasfreedom.com), a woman is coaxed by
Las Vegas, the city itself, in a short phone conversation to ignore
the important responsibilities of her life in favor of frivolous
gambling and entertainment in Sin City. The exchange goes as
follows:
Judith:
“Hello, Judith speaking.”
Las
Vegas: “Ring-a-ding-ding Judy; Vegas here.”
Judith:
“Las Vegas? How did you get this number?”
Las
Vegas: “Never mind that, toots. What do you say you and me hit
the strip again tonight?”
Judith:
“I can’t, I can’t. I have to finish these employee
evaluations.”
Las
Vegas: “Hey baby, you could keep working or you could start
living. It’s your choice.”
Judith:
“But that would be … really … WILD!”
The
temptation is just too much for poor Judith; and instead of
finishing those employee evaluations, which have important
repercussions for workers she supervises, Judith chooses to succumb
to Las Vegas’ wiles.
Such
a message is a dangerous one to bombard Americans with. Already
overleveraged with credit card debt and mortgages and facing a
continuing recession, frittering away valuable time and money is the
last thing Americans need. But after years of being softened up by
state lotteries and weekend bingo sessions, gambling simply
doesn’t carry the stigma it once did.
The
state of Michigan has become so concerned over the loss of gambling
revenues to Canada, that places that once resisted the introduction
of gambling are now exploring the establishment of casinos. Native
Americans, who have suffered immensely at the hands of the U.S.
government, are now getting the revenge by building casinos on their
reservations, which in turn draw gambling Americans by the
thousands. And organizations as unlikely as youth swim teams are
using bingo as a way to raise money for their sports programs.
What’s
so dangerous about this American rush for the roulette wheel is that
American Muslims can easily get caught up in this world of vice.
There are, no doubt, many Muslims that gamble in casinos.
Additionally, some Muslims buy lottery tickets in the hopes of
winning the big jackpots that seem to so frequently captivate
America. But beyond the direct involvement in gambling, Muslims can
unwittingly contribute to the success of gambling by being patrons
of cities and resorts whose main business is gambling.
As
the saying goes, “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Hopefully Muslims won’t be those fools. 
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