Hindu religious leader Pandit Roopnarain Persaud has welcomed new legislation aimed at tightening oversight of Guyana’s gambling industry, warning that gambling can destroy lives, weaken families and harm the wider society.
Pandit Persaud said gambling goes against the teachings of Hinduism, also known as Sanatan Dharma, which promotes duty, righteousness, self-control and responsible living.
He said gambling is not supported by Hindu teachings because of the damage it can cause to individuals and their families.
“Gambling is not an act which is allowed or tolerated in Hinduism. We totally disagree with it, and it is prohibited,” Pandit Persaud said.
According to him, gambling can lead to addiction, financial hardship, loss of dignity and the breakdown of family relationships. He warned that the effects can be long-lasting and may even impact future generations.
Pandit Persaud said Hindu principles such as Dharma, Karma and Ahimsa encourage people to live responsibly and avoid actions that bring harm to themselves or others. Gambling, he said, undermines those principles by encouraging deception, poor judgment, loss of self-control and financial irresponsibility.
He expressed particular concern about children, young people and vulnerable persons, especially now that gambling has become easier to access through smartphones and online platforms.
The religious leader warned that easy access to online gambling could expose young people to addiction and distract them from school, training and productive activities.
“Our children are a great asset to the country. They are the future contributors to development and the future leaders of all the agencies and every aspect of life,” he said.
Pandit Persaud said stronger safeguards are therefore necessary, particularly measures designed to prevent children from accessing gambling platforms.
He said oversight must cover both physical betting shops and online gambling spaces, where monitoring is needed to ensure that young people are not allowed to participate.
The pandit also called for proper regulation of betting shop operators and greater scrutiny of the source of funds used in the industry.
He said legislation must not remain only on paper, but must be fully enforced, with consequences for operators who breach the rules.
“They must be able to implement this legislation and let them work and let people become examples,” he said, stressing that enforcement must be consistent.
Pandit Persaud further warned that gambling among young people could lead to wider social problems, especially when they do not have legitimate sources of income and begin looking for money to feed an addiction.
He said such behaviour could push young people toward delinquency and cause them to lose focus on education, personal development and their responsibilities to their families.
Pandit Persaud commended the PPP/C Government, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and those involved in crafting the legislation, describing the move as timely as Guyana continues to develop.
“We are now on a springboard of development, and therefore every single citizen should be involved, and not sitting in a betting shop and doing nothing,” he said.
He added that Guyana’s expanding economy is creating opportunities for citizens to improve their lives through work, business and productive activity, rather than relying on gambling.
Pandit Persaud said the main goal must be to protect vulnerable citizens, especially children and young people, from the social and financial harm linked to gambling.
