Despite the government's public statements against gambling, more than half of this space was for a long time occupied by casinos.
dᵻspˈaɪt ðə ɡˈʌvɚnmənts pˈʌblɪk stˈeɪtmənts ɐɡˈɛnst ɡˈæmblɪŋ, mˈoːɹ ðɐn hˈæf ʌv ðɪs spˈeɪs wʌz fɚɹə lˈɔŋ tˈaɪm ˈɑːkjʊpˌaɪd baɪ kɐsˈiːnoʊz.