Despite outright opposition from many of the clergy in The Bahamas, the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry is calling for more progressive gaming legislation. According to Branville McCartney, gaming plays a vital role in the country’s tourism industry but the laws governing the gaming industry need to be updated to take account of technological changes, including online gambling.

There is unlikely to be any change in the law that bans Bahamians from gambling but the question of foreign residents without the right to work has been raised. There are an estimated 10,000 people with permanent resident status, acquired from property purchase, in The Bahamas. Tourism officials say that there is a growing market for casinos on islands such as Exuma, New Providence and Abaco.

The comments about gaming regulations were made during a Gaming Board Seminar. The Gaming Board for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas was established in 1969 under the Lotteries and Gaming Act. The Minister pointed out that whenever the expansion of gaming was under discussion any decisive action was forestalled by lobbying from the religious community. Plans for a national lottery have failed to materialise. McCartney said, “As an industry if gaming does not move forward the only other choice is to stagnate and die.” (E-11.30.07)

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