Tomorrow the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, is expected to announce the go-ahead for casino licensing in the Budget Debate. Church leaders have expressed their opposition to the plan, citing increasing crime and violence with the advent of casinos, saying that gambling promotes the wrong work ethic and spiritual decay. The opposition, widely believed to have supported casino licensing when in power, is waiting to see exactly what the new government proposes before commenting.

Details of the casino plan have not yet been released but it is thought that a group of international investors will establish Jamaica’s first casino in Montego Bay. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is known to support casino licensing and has previously stated that those opposing it are being hypocritical as there has been little outcry against the lottery and other forms of gambling on the island.

A 2003 study recommended casinos as a way of boosting Jamaica’s tourist industry and three years later it seemed the then government would adopt the plan. The elections put the measure on hold as gambling is still a controversial subject in Jamaica. The original plan had a cap of 1,000 gaming machines per location unless the hotel had over 1,000 rooms. The Montego Bay development may have over 3,000 rooms.

So far it has not been revealed which company wants to build the hotel casino but it is said to be one with a good track record in casino operations. The development will only proceed if a casino licence is granted but with the prospect of thousands of jobs for Jamaicans plus a major tourist attraction, tomorrow’s Budget Debate announcement should make casino licensing a reality.
(E-04.21.08)

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