The local gambling debate: ...The number houses, Bahamian culture, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and numbers kingpin and former PLP Treasurer - the late Percy Munnings ...and the call to legalise the native numbers business; tax it, and strictly control it ...so that it is not allowed to grow into an octopus of destruction

The Destructive Face Of Casino Gambling

Tribune242 Editorial



AS A follow up to our comments in this column yesterday a Tribune reader has sent us an interesting article from London’s Daily Mail on the Englishman’s destructive addiction to the roulette machine and Labour’s admission that it made a mistake by relaxing gambling laws thus allowing casinos to flourish.

All the observations in the Daily Mail article are among the reasons that we made it clear in this column yesterday that our comments about the ever present “numbers racket” to the growing presence of web shops did not include the more sophisticated casino tables of the hotels.

However, with the number houses becoming over the years almost a part of the island culture, it is going to be impossible to shut them down. It must be particularly hard for the PLP to even consider closure, considering that their party’s treasurer Percy Munnings was the acknowledged numbers boss and with his gains a generous financial supporter of his party for many years.

If Percy Munnings could get away with it, reasoned the little numbers man, then why couldn't he? It was a reasonable proposition. Despite the police raids, the back room numbers trade became bolder and more entrenched.

This is why we accept that it has been allowed to become so much a part of the fabric of the Bahamas that government might as well capitulate, legalise it, tax it, and strictly control it so that it is not allowed to grow into an octopus of destruction.

However, allowing Bahamians into the hotel casinos is another matter and we agree with Robert “Sandy” Sands, senior vice-president of external and government affairs of BahaMar, that Bahamians are not “disciplined” enough to be able to gamble locally. Not only are Bahamians not disciplined enough, but neither are Britons — in fact few members of the human race, unless they have entrenched religious convictions, and strong wills, can easily escape the temptation of easy money.

Mr Sands’ comments came after Prime Minister Perry Christie, while promising a referendum before the end of the year to legalise gambling and create a national lottery, vetoed the referendum being extended to open casino gambling in the hotels to the local population.

According to the Daily Mail article, written by Sarah Bridge and Abul Taher, the extent of “Britain’s addiction to controversial casino-style gambling machines” was revealed with the disclosure “by two bookmaker giants that more than £12 billion was wagered on their machines in the first half of this year.”

The figures revealed by the “bookies” was staggering.

But the most interesting part of the article was the admission by Shadow Culture Secretary Harriet Harman, who was a senior member of the Cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, that her government had made a tragic mistake.

“I think we were wrong,” the Mail quoted her as saying:

“We have made a mistake and we need to do something about it.

“If we had known then what we know now, we wouldn’t have allowed this.

“It’s not just ruining the high street, it’s ruining people’s lives.”

The Mail reports that this is the first time that Ms Harman, who is in charge of Labour’s gambling policy, has explicitly blamed the Labour government for the increase in gambling.

Ms Harman spoke out after hearing stories from people hooked on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOTNs) that encourage people to stake £100 at a time on roulette, blackjack or poker games hoping to win £500.

“I have received the most heart-rending letters and e-mails and calls that I’ve ever had in 30 years of being an MP,” she said, “just saying, “Please, do something about this. It’s ruined my life, it’s ruined my family, it’s really dangerous.”

“And the problem is, it’s getting worse,” she said, “that is why we need the law changed so that something can be done about it.”

Ms Harman told the Mail that FOTBs were “bringing casinos right into the high street.”

“These machines,” she said, “are like mini-casinos— they’re not like the small machines you have in seaside arcades. People get addicted and lose all their money.”

This is a matter that has to be studied carefully. If it is decided to allow the betting shops that we now have, they have to be strictly controlled so that they do not grow into a greater menace than they are now.

Government now has to decided whether to close down all local gambling, or strictly control and tax the numbers and web shops. But the ridiculous situation of turning a blind eye to open and defiant illegality can no longer continue.

August 08, 2012

Tribune242 Editorial

Caribbean Blog International

Mr. Robert “Sandy” Sands, senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs at Baha Mar, says: ...while he supports regularising number houses ...he is not an advocate of Bahamians being allowed to gamble in local casinos

Bahamians ‘Not Disciplined Enough’ To Use Casinos


By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

ROBERT “Sandy” Sands, senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs at Baha Mar, said yesterday Bahamians are not “disciplined” enough to be able to gamble in casinos locally.

Mr Sands’ comments came after Prime Minister Perry Christie said that permitting Bahamians to gamble in local casinos will not be considered in the referendum on a national lottery.

Mr Sands said while he supports regularising number houses, he is not an advocate of Bahamians being allowed to gamble in casinos.

“I am a strong advocate of limited relaxation for Bahamians gambling in casinos. I believe the government should examine the opportunity for high net worth for persons who can verify their ability to sustain gambling for limited periods like over a month or something like that.

“I support gambling for persons who come on short term work permits, especially in the entertainment business. I also support gambling for persons of high net worth who have permanent residency in the country and people with second homes,” he said.

“However, I do not support opening the floodgates totally. We are not a disciplined enough community. I understand rights, but there are some rights we have to take away from individuals for their own benefit. We have to find the balance and even with the liberalization of the number houses there might be an opportunity where numbers may be able to be purchased through a window at the casino. But no I do not support Bahamians gambling in the casino.”

As it stands gambling is illegal in all forms for Bahamians and non-citizen residents of the Bahamas. However, Prime Minister Christie has promised a referendum on the legalisation of gambling and a national lottery before the year is out. He said a referendum is necessary to remove the “contradictions” that have led to gambling continuing to be illegal, yet widely practised and accepted.

Mr Christie said: “It is something that I think is very necessary to remove these enormous contradictions that exist in our country where every single Bahamian is walking around knowing that they (illegal web-shops) exist. We cannot have this system... where people are paying national insurance payments, making other institutional payments and then otherwise pretending that this activity is lawful. That cannot go on any further.”

He said he is working in the Ministry of Finance on scheduling a time for the referendum. He also said the former government “has done a lot of work on that” to the point where the former government created draft legislation.

It has been estimated that a national lottery could pump more than $190 million into the Bahamas’ economy annually.

Currently there are at least 16 independent numbers houses in New Providence alone, with another six in Grand Bahama and a few spread throughout the Family Islands.

The Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) has gone on record opposing the legalization of gambling in any form in the Bahamas.

July 06, 2012

Tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money in The Bahamas should be allowed to do so by law

Number-Houses Should Pay More
The Bahama Journal Editorial



By way of this commentary, today we insist that those who make it their business to sell numbers or any other games of chance should have their businesses taxed.

Revenues earned by the government could then be made available for socially useful projects. We believe that such a move would go a long way towards helping our society move forward.

While there are Bahamians who think otherwise, we say to them that there is no reason – morally or otherwise based – that would support the conclusion that the views of one fragment of this society could ever become the commonsense and law for the majority.

And so today we reiterate a point previously made when we suggested that, “…Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is surely to be applauded for saying… that his administration might be minded to bring legislation forward that would legalize gambling…”

As we suggested then, “…Such a move would bring an end to an “illicit” industry that makes tens of millions of dollars a year and which employs hundreds; but which contributes little to the general good of the Bahamian people…”

When asked about the effectiveness of laws on the books concerning lotteries and gambling, Mr. Ingraham indicated that, “…The reality is that it is not an enforceable law… There’s a web shop here and a web shop there, all over the island. Abaco is now like a city. [There] are web shops in Abaco, web shops in Bimini, web shops in Exuma. It’s nationwide."

The prime minister also noted that in 1998, the Commission on Crime considered it to be a national scandal that while some of these laws remain on the book they are notoriously flouted.

The prime minister said there are many casinos in The Bahamas – and he wasn’t referring to the one on Paradise Island, the one in Cable Beach, or any of the other legally operating casinos in The Bahamas.

"The reality is, Mr. Speaker, either change the law or you enforce it."
We agree.

We go further by suggesting that, gambling – whether legally or illegally conducted – is big business in The Bahamas.

It is also a fact of life in The Bahamas that there are people who do not and will not gamble whether every legal impediment is moved now, later or never.

This is so because they consider the matter wrong and not in their best interest. Interestingly, this logic applies to other types of morally wrongful behaviour.

Here we might use as an example that steamy sin that comes with the label adultery. The truth is that while this activity is sinful, it has not been criminalized; and we say, rightfully so.

By the same logic, those people who wish to gamble should be able to do so without fearing that they might – on some given day- be locked up.

In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, gambling – as it currently exists – does not provide the government as much money as it might.

It is also a fact of life in this country and in a slew of others around the world, that gambling is a national past-time. For some Bahamians, playing numbers has become a most welcome past-time.

We are told that there are clergy, police officers, lawyers, teachers, secretaries and a host of other so-called ordinary Bahamians who just love to gamble.

Clearly, most of these people wager for the fun of it all.

And so, the fact remains that, once given even half a chance, there are very many people who are prepared to spend some of their hard-earned money on gambling and games.

Some of these people play these games for the sheer fun of it; while there are some others who play to win; but no matter why they do so, there are people who pay –as they say- to play.

Popular lore is rife with anecdotes concerning how this or that person struck it rich after playing their favorite number or who might have won a little fortune by playing the Power-ball.

But even as we take note of these facts of life; there are other stories that turn on some of gambling’s supposedly deleterious side-effects; with these supposedly inclusive of any number of challenges facing families as they try to balance their family budgets.

In addition, we know it for a fact that, there are some religiously inclined Bahamians who decry this national past-time; this because they believe that it is a bane and an outright evil.

While these people do have a right to their views; they should also reason and thereafter understand that, they too are called to recognize that, Caesar is to be paid in his own coin.

And for sure, Bahamians who wish to gamble away some of their money should be allowed to do so.

November 11th, 2010

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International

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

Bahamas Blog International

The Government's Missed Opportunity on Legalized Gambling for Bahamians

Missed opportunity on gambling
thenassauguardian editorial:



In democratic societies, laws exist with the consent of the people. Without that consent, no law can be enforced. It can even be argued that no law is legitimate if the people do not support it.

It is clear from the large number of number houses that openly operate in The Bahamas that a significant number of Bahamians want to gamble.

The number houses advertise in the media, they donate to state agencies, they announce the numbers of the day on television and some have corporate offices in the center of Nassau.

Yet we as a nation still seek to run away from the logical position that the law should be changed, allowing Bahamians to gamble.

Keeping rules in place that cannot be enforced sends the message that people can defy the law, and there are no consequences to this defiance.

And yet again, the church is standing in the way of logic and reasonableness.

Gambling is legal in many parts of the United States. Its unemployment rate is around 10 percent. Gambling is legal in Canada. Its unemployment rate is around 8 percent.

Gambling is illegal for Bahamians and our unemployment rate is near 15 percent. The legalization of gambling has not destroyed those countries and caused mass poverty.

The church has a right to advocate its position. It should not be allowed to dictate policy, however.

The government is in financial crisis. It has to borrow to meet its responsibilities.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham says they project that the government could take in $30 to 40 million in tax revenue from a fully legalized gambling business.

Having backed down largely from the threat of going to war with local clerics, where now is the government going to get this revenue from in a time of financial crisis?

The church won't provide the funds. Its operations are virtually tax-free. Governments of The Bahamas have also given churches deep concessionary rates on the purchase of Crown land for their operations.

Instead of bringing this industry into the open and taxing number bosses who make millions annually, and those who wish to play, the government will now hike taxes in other areas to compensate for the lost revenue.

The prime minister missed an opportunity to end this decades long debate on gambling with decisive action. However, his announcement that the Free National Movement will commit to a referendum offers some hope.

If the FNM wins the next general election, and the referendum takes place, right thinking Bahamians need to make sure their voices are heard on this issue once and for all.

Those who do not want to gamble do not have to. This is a free society.

Bahamians should be free to choose how they wish to spend their money on reasonable activities just as church leaders are free to spend church funds on what they wish to.

May 26, 2010

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International

Pastor Glen Rolle on The Legalisation of Gambling in The Bahamas

Legalisation of gambling in The Bahamas
By PASTOR GLEN ROLLE
Hillside Restoration Centre
Kingdom Ministries:



By far the most talked about issue is the legalisation of lottery in the Bahamas locally referred to as the "Number House" or "The Web Shop."

When the Number Houses outnumber the churches and the bars, you know they must be saying something.

For weeks some of my friends have asked me my perspective on the issue and quite frankly I do have one, but I know they wanted me to give a simple yes or no answer; am I for it or against it?

They will say "Glen if you were in government you would have to take a position" and yes they are right. Thankfully however I am not a member of a political party and therefore can be more deliberate in my resolve to address this issue or at best give a perspective.

One of the primary reasons I am hesitant to engage in this debate is because referees are usually advised to stay out of the middle of blows or fights, particularly if they involve two heavy weights.

How dare I have a view when those who govern the state have decided to take a certain course in respect to further develop that which they have a sense of ownership to govern? For them this issue is not about the legalisation of the gambling. IT'S ALREADY A DONE DEAL.

Remember, they are the ones that administor and determine the law by which the nation will be governed. No amount of vision, aggressiveness or self ambition of any law enforcement agency can rise above the lid from which they have been placed under.

Forget the fact that most of the top leaders in our Law Enforcement Agency are intelligent and trained, most of whom are saddled with various degrees. Their action at the end of the day is predicated or determined by the degree to which legislation is structured and so in our existing system of governance, eyes and vision are not necessarily a prerequisite for transformation.

There was a very strange statement made to Pilot in his trial with Jesus..."IF YOU RELEASE HIM YOU ARE NOT A FRIEND OF CEASAR"... THE SYSTEM IS NOT DESIGNED TO RELEASE THOSE TO THEIR FULL AUTHORITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS SIMPLY ENFORCE THE LAWS and as far as we are aware, agencies of government act on behalf of some minister of government. By extension the government or the state has already determined that the places from which number houses or web shops operate have a legal, legitimate license to do so.

Therefore, these Number Shops have a footing in our land. They are issued a license from which they can do business. No law enforcement agency can legitimately rise above that lid and not appear to be in violation of the state. "IF YOU RELEASE HIM YOU ARE NOT A FRIEND OF CEASAR."

This is the system from which we operate. We don't have a people problem, we don't have a competency problem, we don't have a commitment problem, but we are locked by a system that is designed to subject us as a people.

Having said that, I did mention that my friends would inquire of my perspective. My answers at best may be vague, or in some cases I would ask of them a question, and should they give an answer you can rest assure a debate without resolve will be the end result.

That in, and of itself, suggests that this issue may not be as easy as we think. For on one hand, how do you say to the state that they have no business finding means that may be beneficial to the development of its people, and yet on the other hand how do the voices of the religious body stand by idly and not raise objection to the legalisation of something that contradicts their core belief system; the very same legalisation which will bring damnation and rob us of the stewardship and work ethic and creativity that thriving communities need.

This is a cop out, an insult to the emerging generation, they will argue. As for me there can be no successful argument against this expressed view, and after all they too are the custodians of what is morally correct and acceptable.

To further complicate this matter who amongst us will raise an objection to a donor that gives some $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) to victims who would have suffered the effects of a devastating Hurricane. After all those with the moral authority were not prepared to play a matching game, and so one can see why this is a fight between the two heavy weights.

Those who are responsible for the administration of the law, and from whom we look to for sustenance, and those on the other hand who feel that laws for the land ought to originate and be a reflection of those that are determined by the moral authority.

Who can argue against the right and wrong of the position of these two giants? Sometimes referees continue without interference and hope they are both saved by the bell and keep in mind that they both mean well.

May 20, 2010

tribune242

Bahamas Blog International