Branville McCartney's plan to modernize the Bahamas' gaming polices could transform the country into the next global I-gaming jurisdiction.
McCartney, the minister of state in the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, said gaming plays an essential role in the promotion of tourism, the country's main generator of revenue.
"The time has come, in my view, to formulate more progressive policies for the promotion of gaming in the Bahamas and to review and update our gaming laws in order to keep abreast of technological changes in the industry," he told attendees of a Gaming Board seminar on Thursday.
Gambling is legal in the Bahamas for everybody but Bahamians; citizens caught gambling are subject to fines of up to $500. Furthermore, no current laws address Internet gambling.
"A case can be made that our gaming laws are archaic," McCartney said. "Despite the advancements of the Internet and the proliferation of gaming online, the Bahamas currently lacks substantive laws to regulate Internet gaming. Clearly, new legislation is needed to keep abreast of ever changing automation and new technology in gaming."
McCartney said the influence of the Bahamian religious community is a major reason for what he considers a lack of progress in this area.
"Whenever the question of the expansion of gaming comes up in the Bahamas, as it does from time to time, decisive action is effectively forestalled by a strong lobby from the religious community," McCartney said.
The Bahamas is a growing market for casinos. Four major casinos operate in the country, and U.S. casino giant Harrah's Entertainment in January announced that it will be the fifth. In addition, the Royal Oasis Resort and Casino on Freeport, which was shut down in 2004 following Hurricane Frances, has been sold to new owners and awaits reopening in the next year or two.
McCartney said these two events provide a good backdrop for addressing the challenges associated with legalized gambling.