G.B.C. sample answer: Legalisation of casinos

Legalisation of casinos in Japan
Casinos may one day be made legal in Japan

This time, we're going to look at a hot potato* that has caused a lot of heated discussion in Japan.

The question we're going to deal with is: What do you think of the legalization of casinos in Japan?

Here is my sample answer:

This is a rather controversial issue at the moment. In the last few years, the legalization of gambling in Japan has been hotly debated. Betting on horse and cycle races is already legal, so the way I see it, there is no reason whatsoever why casinos should not be made legal. Obviously, casinos would bring in much-needed revenue to the Japanese state. This money could be put to good use in the creation and construction of socially beneficial projects.

What is more, there is another very serious aspect to this issue. At the moment there are illegal casinos where people gamble heavily. If they lose, there can be serious consequences as these casinos are run by criminal underworld organizations. People can end up heavily in debt and in a lot of trouble. If casinos were made legal, this problem would no longer be an issue.

On balance, I think that the benefits of legalized casinos outweigh any possible drawbacks, so I am in favor of their legalization.

This is a good answer because:

  • The respondent gives some necessary background information to the topic: "This is a rather controversial issue at the moment" and "in the last few years (it) has been hotly debated"
  • The respondent presents his/her opinion strongly: "The way I see it, there is no reason whatsoever why casinos should not be made legal"
  • The evidence that is provided and the reasoning that is used are very effective.
  • There is a clear recap of the respondent's initial opinion: "On balance, I think that..."
  • The language used shows some sophistication:
    • controversial
    • hotly debated
    • much-needed revenue
    • heavily in debt
    • the benefits... outweigh any possible drawbacks


Vocabulary:
*a hot potato = a problem, situation etc. that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of disagreement