“ Nou pou delokaliz ban maisons de jeu pou met zot lwin ek habitasyon. ” This undertaking was made live on TV by Navin Ramgoolam more than a year ago. Xavier- Luc Duval repeated the same promise in his budget of 2011. But, nothing, no delocalization has been carried out since then. The promise made both by the PM and the Minister of Finance to the whole nation was never respected. It concerned delocalization throughout the whole country.

We will restrict our present paper to only one region, namely the village of Triolet. A little more than 19 000 adults live in this village, which is the longest one of our island. Though we do not have the precise statistical figures, we can estimate the under 18 population to be somewhere around 30 000.

Triolet also “ boasts” eight more or less big gambling houses ( including book- makers) , three pool houses, and more than a hundred betting outlets. The latter are small tobacco shops, snacks and restaurants also duplicating as bet-collections depots.

While the bigger houses and pool houses are somewhat evenly located along the main road, the smaller bet collectors have their business in every nook and corner of the whole village, including the remotest alleys and by- roads. The biggest of the lot is found exactly across the road from the very religious Arya Sabha of Triolet, and many of the smaller bet-collectors operate adjoining schools and colleges and other places of learning and of prayers ( temples, mosques, kalimayes, baitkas, maktabs, etc).

It would seem that while there is a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol within a certain distance of educational institutions and religious places, there is no such prohibition concerning gambling and betting. This is evident since all these gambling units do not operate illegally. They all have the necessary licenses and permits by the relevant authorities to do so.

The proximity of these dens of zougader with the dwelling places facilitate their easy access to children and housewives, chachis and mausis, kalas and tantines , to whom, up to recent times, jouwa was a dirty vice and a deadly sin.

Gone are the days when these housewives saved a few rupees, met enn tikas dekote, from their household budget.