GMA thumbs down Casino University

The odds are stacked up against the proposed Casino University (CU).

President Arroyo ordered yesterday the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to stop its planned setting up of a Casino University, citing her personal stand against fostering a culture of gambling.

Wire reports last week said Pagcor planned to institute a special academy that would offer bachelor degrees in casino operations and management, pending approval from education officials.

Mrs. Arroyo disclosed during her weekly radio program yesterday that she called the attention of Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino when she first learned about Pagcor’s unconventional plans.

She said Pagcor’s formal proposal has yet to reach her office but which she read about only in the papers.

"But I called up Ephraim Genuino to tell him I’m not in favor of that (CU)," the President said.

"We don’t want to have a culture of gambling to prevail in our country. All those (gambling) that are already being allowed by law, they are already there. But we don’t want them to proliferate," she pointed out.

Pagcor planned to support the operations for the proposed establishment of an academy that will train Filipino card dealers and draw up a comprehensive syllabus to develop specialized casino skills which were said to be in high demand in gambling joints all over the world.

But certain civic society groups which support Mrs. Arroyo strongly opposed the Pagcor plans to set up a CU.

In apparent response to these objections, the President put her foot down on the proposed university of higher gambling by Pagcor, which is one of the state-run corporations directly under supervision of the Office of the President.

If the CU bucks the odds, it would very likely be the world’s first casino university to spread the art of dealing cards and spinning the roulette wheel, among other exciting games of chance.

"The Pagcor Academy will be a pioneer in the Philippines and in the world," Genuino had said in a statement.

The academy would also offer short term courses for croupiers in popular casino games such as blackjack, roulette, craps and poker, as well as non-degree programs for teller, casino accountants, bingo managers, building administrators and security personnel. – Marichu Villanueva