DR has 1,385 betting parlors

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican Republic has 1,385 official betting parlors where people can play the lottery or place a bet on almost any sporting event. Some of these venues will accept bets worth as much as RD$200,000, according to Carlos Nina Gomez's latest book "Dominican Sports Press: the history, capabilities and mistakes" (Prensa Deportiva Dominicana: su historia, capacidades e ineptitudes). The main concentration of these betting parlors is in the province of Santo Domingo with 297. According to the author, these places are very detrimental to a country that needs more education, culture and economic growth. He criticizes the way that sports activities have changed from being a healthy pastime to becoming a sort of "bazaar" where people seek instant riches. In many of the poorer barrios in Santo Domingo residents do not really want to see so many betting parlors operating but they seem to be afraid to complain to the authorities, said Nina Gomez.

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