KARINE HAKOBYAN: TURNING RECREATIONAL PLACES INTO GAMBLING CENTERS IS SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER
Noyan Tapan
June 17, 2009
Yerevan
Turning Armenia’s well-known health resorts and recreation places, such
as Tsakhkadzor, Sevan and Jermuk, into gambling centers is a social,
cultural and environmental disaster. This opinion was expressed by
Karine Hakobyan, president of the Reform NGO at a press conference
on June 17 in Yerevan.
Let’s remind that according government’s decision of June 11,
starting from January 1 of 2013 all casinos must operate in these
three recreation locations (Sevan, Jermuk and Tsakhkadzor) and nearby
Zvartnots airport.
According to K.Hakobyan, Armenia has not yet elaborated the concept
of safe and secure development and the strategy of preserving and
developing its small towns. According to her, the smaller the town, the
faster gambling addiction spread. In Karine Hakobyan’s opinion removing
casinos to small towns will lead to their degradation. K. Hakobyan
voices concern that the issue hasn’t drawn a necessary public
attention. "Casinos must be established in desert areas, away
from residential settlements. Nature mustn’t be destroyed because
of them." Karen Tamazyan, a senior representative of RA Finance
ministry, says the governmental decision was adopted to encoure
tourism industry inside the country. According to him, that type
of business is forbidden in neigboring Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan,
and Armenia’s only competitor in the region in respect to gambling
business remains Georgia.