Prime Minister Perry Christie says:... ...The government would ensure that gaming laws are enforced ...and that persons who break them are dealt with to the full extent of the law ...should Bahamians vote NO to the legalisation of web shop gaming in The Bahamas ...in the upcoming referendum - December 03, 2012

PM Says Money Could Be Funnelled Into Public Purse

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

IF BAHAMIANS say “yes” to the legalisation of web shop gaming in the country, tax revenues ranging from $15 to $20 million a year could be funnelled into the public purse, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced yesterday.

In addition, web shop chiefs, Mr Christie said, could face up to $1 million in licensing fees coupled with a performance bond in a bid to award certification to a small number of licensees.

 

The Prime Minister made the statement in the House of Assembly shortly after announcing that Bahamians would turn out to the polls in one month to cast votes during the highly anticipated referendum.

 

Mr Christie said: “If licensed web shop gaming becomes a reality, it is anticipated that tax revenues would initially be at $15 to $20 million range per annum.

 

“I wish to make it clear that in the event that the referendum question passes, it would be the policy of my government to limit web shop licenses to a small number. This would also help ensure that the regulatory infrastructure of the Gaming Board, which I confirm would be the regulator of the licensed web shops is up to the task of adequately monitoring and regulating web shop operations.”

 

Mr Christie said the revenue would be earmarked for use in helping to fund educational scholarships, athletic, sporting, music and art developments.

 

A range of private and public community, health, infrastructure, recreational, and social outreach facilities and programmes are to be funded as well.

 

To qualify for a web shop gaming license, applicants would have to meet specific criteria which include experience, integrity and expertise along with a suitable financial footing. Organisational and internal controls to operate in a responsible and transparent manner are also required, the Prime Minister said.

 

“This would be in addition to the annual taxes that would be payable, based on the revenues of the licensed web shops, similar to the taxation structure that applies to casinos.

 

“Web shops would also be required to contribute to the cost of implementing the new laws and regulations for web shops.”

 

The legalising of this type of gaming would then force owners to fund, at their own expense, programmes to help protect gamers from addiction and to help in the treatment and rehabilitation of such persons.

 

Instituting measures approved by the Gaming Board, to ensure that only persons of the legal age are allowed to use web shop facilities is also required.

 

Anti-money laundering standards also would be altered to ensure that the Bahamas remains effective in its monitoring regulations, Mr Christie said.

 

The government would ensure that gaming laws are enforced and that persons who break them are dealt with to the full extent of the law should Bahamians vote no, The Prime Minister said.

November 02, 2012

Tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

...on the upcoming referendum on the legalization of the numbers industry in The Bahamas: ...A vote by the people to legalize the numbers industry will actually not legalize lottery gambling for Bahamians and legal residents... ...The Parliament would have to pass legislation amending our gaming laws

The parliamentary vote on gambling is not so simple

thenassauguardian editorial

There has been much discussion on the upcoming referendum on the legalization of the numbers industry in The Bahamas.  The industry has let it be known that it will spend $1.5 million on advertising for its cause.  The church has responded with vocal opposition to any further legalization of a practice it views as harmful to Bahamians.

A vote, however, by the people to legalize the numbers industry will actually not legalize lottery gambling for Bahamians and legal residents.  The Parliament would have to pass legislation amending our gaming laws.

In the Westminster parliamentary system votes on matters of conscience are usually free votes – that is, the party whips are removed and members vote their consciences without fear of party discipline for making a particular choice.  When the whip is on a member who votes against the party’s position could be expelled from that political party.

Assuming that there would be a free vote in Parliament on the issue of legalizing lottery gambling, it is unclear how the members would vote.  Some are practicing Christians and would not vote for gambling despite what their party leaders say.  Some members might also abstain from voting, fearing taking a public stance on such a contentious issue.  Such a scenario would put the will of the people up against the beliefs of the elected member of the legislature.

Therefore, there will be two fights in order for the lottery business to be legalized: one fight to win the referendum and the other to influence the MPs.

The church will have an advantage with the MPs.  MPs do not like to disappoint pastors and the church of Christ in The Bahamas.  A strong lobby on members by their respective pastors will be effective in getting at least a few MPs to vote no.

No MP wants to be named by the church as its opponent, pursuing an order against God.  What has for a long time prevented a referendum is the fear by our leaders of crossing the church.

Our politicians think a referendum will allow the people to choose and they will not have to be responsible for legalizing numbers, because it would be the people who make that choice.  But we all have forgotten that at the end of the day the MPs will have to do the deed.

Another scenario could emerge, however.  If the people vote overwhelmingly to legalize numbers the governing party and opposition could keep the whips on and force through the amendments making lotteries legal.

Much is unclear about what will happen with the proposed referendum and the vote in Parliament if the people say yes to the numbers game.  The governing party must chart carefully so it does not get in trouble with the process as the last government did during the referendum of 2002.

July 13,2012

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

Great frustration expressed at the Bahamian Government's delay in implementing reforms to The Bahamas' gaming regulations

Atlantis: Get a move on with gaming reforms
By ALISON LOWE
Business Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net



Branding announcements that Jamaica is set to grant three casino licenses this year as "a big problem" for Bahamian tourism, Kerzner International (Bahamas) top executive has expressed great frustration at the Government's delay in implementing reforms to this nation's gaming regulations.

Speaking to Tribune Business about the wait for the Government to move ahead with reforms proposed by the Bahamas Hotel Association and the Casino Association, George Markantonis, the company's managing director and president, told Tribune Business he finds the entire situation "very frustrating" and warned of the implications for Bahamian tourism.

"It's been over a year. It's very frustrating. This isn't, to me, that difficult. You're only talking about two major casinos and, frankly, every day we are losing ground in the gaming world. We just have some regulations that are annoying to the consumer. It's way easier to go and gamble elsewhere," said Mr Markantonis.

He noted that many of the recommendations "were procedural (and) not sensitive", providing all the more reason why their consideration and implementation could have moved ahead more swiftly.

Meanwhile, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business he was now in possession of the final recommendations for reform of the Bahamas' gaming laws and regulations, and hoped to present them to the industry next month.

In an e-mailed response to this newspaper, he said: "I had the final review of the recommendations from the Gaming group with me, and hope to present it for consideration next month. I am not sure how long it will take to change regulations to effect whatever is agreed, but we will advance it as quickly as possible."

Mr Markantonis and other industry chiefs say the changes are necessary to keep the Bahamas competitive as a destination for gamblers.

Mr Markantonis' comments come after Jamaica's minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, spoke to the world's media at the recent Caribbean Marketplace tourism trade show, which took place in Montego Bay last week, about his government's "casino dream".

He revealed that Jamaica intends to grant three casino licenses this year and is taking applications for others, with the expectation that each casino could bring in $40 million in revenue to the Government annually.

Mr Markantonis said he sees this development as a "big problem" for the Bahamas, and a "bigger issue" than the fact that the Jamaican government has also just opened a state-of-the-art convention centre - the Caribbean's largest - in Montego Bay in the hopes of gaining a greater share of this lucrative tourism market that the Bahamas, and Atlantis especially, has traditionally benefited from.

"I do think that will be a problem for us - I am not going to hide it. If they do approve all these mega-resort casino licenses there, it's just more casinos coming right on our doorstep.

"We have to keep working on the gaming regulations we have here, make sure they are friendly to the casinos we have here and, at the same time, we have to work on our marketing programs like anything else. You can't just roll over; you learn how to compete in a tougher market," said Mr Markantonis.

Casinos in the Bahamas have suffered significant year-over-year declines in revenue in recent times. Atlantis reported an 8 per cent decline in 2010, while Crystal Palace saw an 18.5 per cent drop. While this is in part because of sluggish tourism levels overall, industry stakeholders have consistently pointed to out-dated gaming regulations as a contributing factor in a narrowing of this nation's competitive advantage.

In March 2009, Robert Sands, then Bahamas Hotel Association president, told this newspaper he believed "radical change" would be needed to gaming regulations if the Bahamas is to maintain a competitive edge against other popular destinations.

When Mr Vanderpool-Wallace last spoke to Tribune Business in October 2010 on the subject of the reforms proposed by the hotel and gaming industry to the sector's regulatory framework, he suggested the proposals were "in front of (him) right now" and under active consideration.

The Minister suggested the Government is looking to marry its own recommendations that it believes will be "even more beneficial" to Bahamian casino gaming with those proposed by the private sector, as it moves to "enhance and hold on to the significant competitive advantages" this nation has.

January 24, 2011

tribune242

Bahamas Blog International

Bahamas: Committee looking at gambling for legal residents

By Keva Ligtbourne ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ kdl@nasguard.com:



The committee formed to comprehensively examine the country's gaming laws may be leaning toward recommending that legal residents be allowed to gamble in The Bahamas, according to Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace.

"In particular there is a group of people who are in The Bahamas whose income does not derive from The Bahamas, but they are residents in The Bahamas without the right to work," he said.

"In very many respects they resemble a visitor. So they are now prohibited under section 50 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act from engaging in gaming in The Bahamas. So that is something that we are taking a look at the possibility of enabling those persons to be considered, but that is not a final decision. A great deal of thought is still going into all of the amendments we have to make."

Bahamian citizens and permanent residents are prohibited from gambling under the current law. However, tourists are allowed to gamble.

Last year, Bahamas Hotel Association President Robert Sands said the BHA supported a national lottery and the amendment of the gaming laws to allow permanent residents to gamble in casinos in The Bahamas.

However, the BHA does not support extending casino gambling to Bahamians.

For years, the debate over whether Bahamians should be allowed to gamble in The Bahamas has been a hot topic across the country. There are those like the religious leaders who are adamantly opposed to the idea. Many of them believe it would contribute to the breakdown of families and the society.

Then there are others who say legalizing gambling in The Bahamas for Bahamians would help fund sporting activities, culture events and education, etc.

Over the years, successive governments have been reluctant to address the issue.

Vanderpool-Wallace insisted that the committee has not considered or made any suggestion or recommendation with regard to allowing Bahamians to gamble legally.

As the committee considers what laws should be relaxed as it regards gaming in The Bahamas, a group called Bahamas Gaming Reform continues to push to end what it says is discrimination.

The group's chairman Sidney Strachan, said: "In response to numerous calls and speculation that the government may be in the process of initiating changes to the current gaming laws, Bahamas Gaming Reform (BGR) applauds any move by the government to reform the country's [archaic] gaming laws. However, BGR stresses that it must be done right and not stop short of ending the blatant discrimination against Bahamian residents."

He said Bahamians are excitedly hoping that what has long been a national pass time — the numbers game -— may finally become legal.

"Bahamians will no longer feel threatened, terrified or harassed while harmlessly queuing up at local web cafes," Strachan said.

"In spite of the heavy sighs of relief from many quarters of the country, anything short of complete reform (permitting Bahamians to be stakeholders and players in our casinos) will be an affront to Bahamians and only deepen the social divide as foreigners will again be afforded more privileges in this country."


April 07, 2010

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International