Sunday, June 13, 2010

Bahamas' gaming industry for Bahamians and other residents cannot be stopped by no administration

The fate of the numbers men
thenassauguardian editorial:



The decision by the numbers bosses to speak with The Nassau Guardian this week was a significant development in the debate to legalize gambling for Bahamians.

A businessman claiming to speak on behalf of a number of numbers houses said that they opened up their books to representatives of the government in order to assist with what they thought was a process to fully legalize gambling.

But, what they thought was to happen, did not.

Instead, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has pledged a referendum if his party wins the government at the next general election.

The gambling issue seems too overwhelming for the Progressive Liberal Party. Its leader has not even attempted to take a position.

Meanwhile, the police have now increased their scrutiny of the openly illegal local gaming industry. One of the numbers bosses said that police cars are parked outside their businesses with increased frequency.

Some 10 to 20 percent of the staff at the numbers houses have, or will have to be, let go as a result of the police pressure, the number boss claimed.

Turning up the 'heat' on the number houses will not shut them down. The will of the people cannot be stopped by the state when the people no longer consent to an old law.

What is likely to happen as a result of increased police pressure on numbers houses is more corruption.

The numbers bosses will likely have to up their 'fees' to the agents of the state charged with investigating and arresting them.

There will be another sad consequence to not fully legalizing gambling. The police have scarce resources and a serious violent crime problem to deal with. Wasting time attempting to shut down the numbers houses will take resources away from a force struggling to catch and prosecute murderers, robbers and rapists.

With two homicide records in three years, and a current homicide count on pace to set a third such record, it seems illogical to assign officers to bother the numbers bosses rather than investigate violent crime.

The church leaders who oppose the full legalization of gambling are 'hit-n-run' commentators.

They always come out for the status quo, but do not realize that the continued prohibition only fuels corruption.

A more reasonable stand would be for preachers to call for moderation and restraint.

The numbers men are going nowhere. The local gaming industry cannot be stopped by a PLP or a Free National Movement (FNM) administration.

This is because the people want to do it in large numbers.

The more pressure a misguided state puts on the numbers men, the more they will use their money to buy the favor of those our leaders send after them.

This unwise fight is unhealthy for a Bahamas that has too many necessary battles to fight.

One day soon the numbers men will be respected businessmen just like the shipwreckers and bootleggers became. Their children now sit, decades later, in significant positions of power.

If this generation of political leaders do not see the wisdom of legitimizing them now, fear not, the next will.

June 10, 2010

thenassauguardian editorial