In an attempt to protect "problem gamblers" from themselves, the Government has proposed the creation of a "self-exclusion programme" where any listed person who is found inside a gambling facility can be charged for trespassing.
People who place their names on the list also forego their right to "collect any winnings or recover any losses from any gambling activity as a gambling establishment for the duration of the exclusion period".
The minimum length of the exclusion period is six months and comprises other brackets including a lifetime ban.
To some this may seem a drastic measure but according to experts dealing with individuals trying to overcome gambling addiction, these are the types of initiatives that need to be undertaken to help those seeking help to have a fighting chance.
The Government is also proposing the creation of the "Office of Responsible Gambling" which is expected to assist "problem gamblers and prevent problem gambling".
These initiative are listed among the existing regulations related to the Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Bill, 2016.
The Gambling (Gambling and Betting) Control (Responsible Gambling) Regulations 2015 is "intended to offer individuals one means to help address problem gambling behaviour or deter an individual with family, religious or other personal concerns from entering the gambling area of a Gambling establishment or any area in which gambling is conducted in Trinidad and Tobago".
So what exactly is a 'problem gambler'?
Well, according to the Gambling (Gambling and Betting) Control (Responsible Gambling) Regulations 2015, a "problem gambler" is "an individual who believes their gambling behaviour is currently, or may in the future without intervention, cause problems in their life or on the loves of their family, friends, and/or co-workers".
While the illegality of casinos and the shortage of tax revenue are worrying to some, the issue of gambling addiction is of a bigger concern to others.
There are currently no real statistics with respect to the number of individuals battling gambling addiction in this country, but according to those dealing with individuals battling addictions there are now more people coming forward begging for help to overcome gambling rather than alcohol and drugs.
According to the University College of London's "Global statistics on addictive behaviours: 2014 status report", "global estimates of problem gambling are not possible but in countries where it has been assessed the prevalence is estimated at 1.5 per cent".
Gambling addiction...'request for help coming mostly from Central, South'
Sherry Smith-Pierre, the executive director of the T&T National Council on Alcoholism and Other Addictions (TTNCA), said the majority of requests for assistance they have gotten over the last two years have been for gambling addiction rather than alcohol or drugs.
"Over the last two years, I have noted a trend and the trend has been in terms of the requests for information and help it has been more for gambling addiction," Smith-Pierre said.
Smith-Pierre said with the increase in the requests for help for gambling addiction coming especially from Central and South, the TTNCA has begun reconsidering its approach to the situation.
Smith-Pierre said the first step was to get the person assessed professionally to determine the extent of the situation and also help identify the "triggers".
"A lot of people who have some sort of addiction do not believe that they have an addiction, they believe 'okay, I gambled now, listen I can lay off of this for a couple months and start again'," she said.
Smith-Pierre said the proliferation of gaming and amusement machines in the country was fuelling the gambling addiction.
Members Clubs, bars with gaming machines not supervised by Govt
Speaking at the House of Representatives on Thursday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said there are between 20,000-30,000 amusement gaming machines, and 1,000 amusement roulette machines in bars around T&T
The amusement gaming machines have a maximum payout of $5,000.
Apart from these bars with amusement machines the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 2009 report titled "Vulnerabilities of Casinos and Gaming Sectors" noted that "while there are no legal casinos operating in Trinidad, 72 registered Private Members Clubs were identified that operated like casinos" and that these establishments are not supervised by the Government.
"Because it is now right in your face it is a temptation," Smith-Pierre said as she also pointed out the increase in draws for Play Whe.
Easy come, easy go
On Wednesday night I won $223 dollars playing the slot machines at a casino.
By Thursday lunchtime, I lost that money playing the slot machines at a casino.
This week the Guardian on Sunday looks at the issue of gambling addiction, so I decided to go to a casino to see exactly what is the true lure.
It was just after 7 pm on Wednesday when I walked into a casino in Central thinking I was probably too early.
I was wrong, as there were at least two dozen people in the casino already.
I made up my mind that the most I could afford to lose was $500. So that is all the money I would bet for the night.
It was a bit unnerving seeing all the machines.
So after walking around a bit I went to a slot machine called Hoot Loot with the picture of an owl on it.
I like birds and I came to win money, so Hoot Loot it was.
I had no idea what I was doing and lost my first $100.
Then after putting in a second $100 bill, I somehow managed to get $400.50.
I cashed out with my $200 profit and walked to another machine.
I put a $100 bill in Joe's Yard Games and after playing a bit and cashed out when I had $4 profit.
On the third machine, Pyramid of the Kings, I put in another $100 bill but lost it in no time at all.
Then, with my final $100 bill for the night, I played Jade Monkey and won $218.80
In all I spent $500 and won $723.70. A difference of $223.70.
In less than an hour, I had made $200 profit.
So the next day at noon, I waked into a casino in Port-of-Spain.
There were also about two dozen people there despite the fact it was a work day.
I saw a Jade Monkey machine and hoped that my luck would continue from the previous night.
I lost the $200 I won the night before in less than 30 minutes.