Assurances have been given by the government of Guyana that sufficient measures are in place to address the social challenges that casino gaming could bring. Suggestions of an increase in money laundering, gambling addiction and prostitution were countered by the government, which pointed out that other businesses were equally liable to be used for money laundering, that tourism brought prostitution, and that there was no empirical evidence that casino gambling would be any different from the controlled forms of gambling already existing in Guyana.

The Gambling Protection and Amendment Bill 2006 includes several clauses aimed at monitoring and addressing gambling activity. It also restricts the granting of casino licences, which will be allocated by the Home Affairs Ministry after a consultative process. The government believes that after studying the experiences of over 100 countries that regulate casino gaming it has sufficient knowledge to effectively monitor the gaming sector, and that amending the present legislation should not lead to a higher incidence of misconduct.

President Bharret Jagdeo is keen to have casino licensing in place before the Cricket World Cup brings additional tourists to watch the games being played at the stadium in Georgetown. He sees casinos as extending the tourist facilities on offer in Guyana, and consequently boosting the economy. In December 2005 a proposal was made for a 200-room 4-star hotel and casino in The Rupununi region of Guyana, a remote area in the south, but awaits legislative approval. Local Guyanese are not expected to be allowed to gamble at the new casinos, should the Bill be passed. (E-01.18.07)

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