Hon.Musa Cham, NAM For Serekunda Constituency, And Hon. Saikou Bah, NAM For Basse Constituency
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The rising prevalence of street gambling across The Gambia has sparked concern among members of the National Assembly, with two lawmakers calling for immediate action to address the issue. Hon. Musa Cham, the Member of Parliament for Serekunda, and Hon. Saikou Bah, who represents Basse, have both raised alarms about the negative effects of this underground industry, particularly on the nation’s youth and vulnerable populations.
During an adjournment debate, the lawmakers urged the government to take a stronger stance on regulating street gambling, calling for enhanced enforcement mechanisms and public awareness campaigns to combat the practice. They highlighted the growing disarray in urban areas, where gambling has become increasingly prevalent.
Hon. Cham painted a picture of Serekunda’s streets, where gambling operations appear unregulated and widespread. When confronted, those involved in the activities claimed to be registered with the local council and holding permits issued by the Inspector General of Police.
Cham recounted his own attempt to clarify the matter with law enforcement.
“I went to the inspector general of police. I engaged the deputy inspector general of police and the guy told me that it is part of the process of registration. They are issued a permit to operate. But we want to be specific to those that leverage them to operate in public places in the communities,” he said.
He emphasized that, as members of the community, they strongly believe it is wrong to grant permits for gambling businesses in their areas, as it could lead to social issues, particularly among the youth.
For his part, Hon. Saikou Bah also condemned street gambling, calling it a form of daylight robbery.
He further stated that in his constituency, Basse, they are doing everything they can to ensure that, even with a license, gambling businesses are not welcome in their community.
Bah added that street gamblers often exploit the notion of having police-issued permits to legitimize their activities.
“We engaged the police, and finally we asked them to leave Basse, and they left Basse. So please the police should look into this because they are using it as a benchmark that they have license from the police as if the police is backing them to do those dubious things, so most of the time they even force innocent people to play the games to defraud them. And some of them are not even Gambians. So they used our Gambians to get the license and try to defraud us,” he said.As the debate continues, both Cham and Bah emphasize the urgency of addressing the issue of street gambling, which they argue undermines public safety and contributes to social instability.