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Gambling on casinos

Posted by CaribShout on January 12, 2010 at 7:30pm

Another Caribbean country is going through the throes of the casino gambling debate. While St Lucia is going ahead and Jamaica seems set to follow suit, the issue is playing out at the heart of the Grenada government. Grenada prime Minister Tillman Thomas says he will not sit in a cabinet that disregards the will of the people - voicing his strongest opposition yet to the introduction of casino gambling on the island. In Grenada there has been much debate on the proposal by Swiss Developers Zublin to include two casinos as part of a tourism development project. They say it's a crucial part of the $US115 million project. Tillman Thomas

PM Thomas is vehemently opposed to casino gambling Last month the government set up a commission to study the issue. There is much speculation in Grenada over views within the government on the issue; what the prime minister will do - and the political implications - if the commission reports back in favor of the casinos. The Zublin corporation had also made an applications for casinos to the previous government of then prime minister Dr Keith Mitchell - but there was no decision. Elsewhere in the region the issue has been equally contentious. Listen to report In St Lucia, where there has been vociferous opposition to casino gambling led by the churches, the government has given a New Year green light for one project to go-ahead later this year. Jamaica is also getting ready to roll the dice. Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett now says the government hopes to start handing out licences by the end of this year. The proposed legislation paving the way for casino gambling in Jamaica was taken off the parliamentary roster last November and sent for review by a parliamentary committee. Mr Bartlett says the committee has been meeting and the bill could be back in the house for by the end of January. "The casinos are going to be embedded in large developments which by itself would be a disincentive to Jamaicans walking in to participate" said Ed Bartlett, Jamaica Tourism Minister Addressing concerns that casino gambling would attract locals taking chances with their hard-earned cash, he said that it was unlikely that many Jamaican would frequent the casinos. “The casinos are going to be embedded in large developments which by itself would be a disincentive to Jamaicans walking in to participate,” he said. Chuches opposed The Jamaica Council of Churches remains opposed to the idea. The JCC’s General Secretary, Reverend Gary Harriot, told BBC Caribbean: “We are concerned about the social implications, gambling addicts and when family resources are used for casino gambling.” Casino gambling in the region for the most part is directed at the tourist market. In fact, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation advertises that the Caribbean is “the place to go if you're looking to add some gambling spice to your vacation”. But, in some countries, such as Antigua and St Maarten, casinos are not only part of hotels, they are 'stand-alone' operations offering access to residents.
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Tags: caribbean, casino, jamaica

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