New law takes no chances

But if expressions such as ‘having a flutter’ suggest that gambling is essentially a trivial matter, a harmless pastime that is all about diversion and pleasure, the truth can be rather more stark and brutal.

It would be wrong to say that controlled recreational gambling is impossible – just as it would be wrong to say that the controlled consumption of alcohol is impossible. But, just as alcoholism ruins lives, addiction to gambling is a curse.

Is it therefore true that we should be worried that Jersey has, per head of population, double the number of betting shops than similar communities in the UK?

Perhaps, but only if the rate of problem gambling can be shown to exceed the national average. The idea that it might be has been questioned by Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean, the politician with responsibility for the new gambling legislation which was introduced at the beginning of this month.

However, although it is a matter of fact that Jersey has a great many bookmakers, this could be related to demographics rather than any disproportionate or harmful appetite for betting. For many years we have had a heavily populated bedsitter land and just as its residents find temporary refuge in the Island’s many pubs, they are likely to see the betting shop as a place to pass time in company rather than solitude.

Meanwhile, the new law, which has replaced statutes that were first formulated a century ago, when, perhaps, gambling was seen through the lens of stricter morality, has abolished some anachronisms. For example, There is now a clear distinction between what might be called serious gambling and the sort of fund-raising games staged by clubs and schools, which, quite clearly, do not merit heavy-handed regulation.

That said, those who remain opposed to gambling as a matter of principle can take comfort from an omission in the new legislation – nothing in the law will increase the probability of a casino being added to the gaming opportunities that the Island offers.