First Gaming Town Hall To Be Held Tonight

February 4, 2014

The first Town Hall on gaming will be held from 6pm – 8pm this evening [Feb 6] at Penno’s Wharf in St. George’s, designed to provide the opportunity for locals to learn more about the Government’s plans.

Minister of Tourism Development and Transport Crockwell said: “I encourage anyone with any questions or concerns about gaming in Bermuda to attend one of these meetings so that they can learn more about what the Government proposes and how the introduction of Integrated Casino Resorts in Bermuda will provide opportunities and jobs for Bermudians.”

The debate surrounding gambling has been ongoing for over 100 years, with reports extending back to at least 1912, when then Governor Sir Walker Kitchener rejected a proposal to establish casinos.

The One Bermuda Alliance originally promised to hold a referendum on the matter, however late last year Premier Craig Cannonier announced that instead of holding a referendum, the matter will be decided by a vote in Parliament.

With the OBA having the majority of votes in Parliament, they are technically capable of passing the legislation without any support from the Opposition.

In addition, several Opposition MPs are known to be in favour of allowing gaming, so the legislation is seen as having a very high chance of passing in Parliament.

The Government appears to be moving forward with plans relating to when the legislation passes and casinos become a reality.

Last month Minister Crockwell said that Government decided to embrace the “integrated casino resort model” for Bermuda [casinos will be located at hotel properties] and also noted that  Government does not intend on restricting residents from casinos.

Minister Crockwell said, “Although we will be unique and maintain our special Bermuda brand, this model is similar to the Aruban and Singaporean casino models.”

Minister Crockwell, Attorney-General Mark Pettingill and a technical officer all recently traveled to Singapore to meet with various entities to discuss gaming models.

Speaking after the trip, Minister Crockwell said: “The fact finding trip to Singapore couldn’t have gone any better. The information and insight provided was absolutely invaluable and will help ensure Bermuda avoids many of the mistakes made in other jurisdictions as we move forward with the Integrated Casino Resort model.”

A letter [PDF] is circulating which appears to be from the Ministry and was apparently sent to hotels requesting a “letter of interest” in reference to having a hotel on their property. The letter noted that once they have that they “can move to the next step to determine the criteria for selection and other policies.”

The series of Town Hall meetings will be held as follows:

  • Tuesday, February 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Penno’s Wharf, St. George’s.
  • Thursday, February 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Pier 6 (lower level) Front Street, Hamilton
  • Thursday, February 13th from 600 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. James Church Hall, Sandys
  • Tuesday, February 18th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Docksiders Front Street, Hamilton

“Two further events will be held – one to discuss mitigating social risks and another to highlight economic and job opportunities. Details for these two events will be announced shortly,” a statement from the Government said.

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (24)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Jus' Askin' says:

    Here we go ;-)

  2. Laughing cow says:

    Minister last night on Gary Moreano show, said there will be a 3 line whip. So MP’s of government now have no say in the matter.

    Their Democratic rights and all voters rights of Bermuda has been taken away from a Minster, that CAN NOT be a policeman nor prison officer.

    • Don says:

      Why would a lawyer want to be a policeman or a prison officer?

  3. Laughing cow says:

    Let me make this clear I’m not opposed to gambling.

    I just want my right to vote.

  4. watching says:

    And the point of this town hall is what exactly?

    The decision is made. The model is selected. The site is Club Med.

    • Al says:

      Let’s hope so. That’ll bring some life to the old town and be a heck of a lot better than the condos that Bazarian wanted to build there.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Yeah, right. Good one. A surefire fail that would be. What visitor is going to pay over $100 in transport & take the time to go way down there & then back?

  5. You Islanders says:

    Is the Lady who was at SAGE yesterday saying “You Islanders” need to stop being silly with race politics going to attend, she may have some useful insight on this next pillar of the economy

  6. Ben Dover says:

    Gaming is not the silver bullet to Bermuda’s tourist woes. I Have been to many islands in the Caribbean that have casinos. These casinos are dingy, dark and seedy. They are never crowded. Many close down. They do not compare to a casino such as Bellagio in Vegas. Bermuda does not have the infrastructure to support a Vegas style casino and we are fooling ourselves to think we can do something that even Atlantic City is struggling with these days.

    • Al says:

      That’s why they looked at the Singapore model.

      • Unearthed says:

        But we are talking about Bermuda. Bermuda is not Singapore.

      • Family Man says:

        Singapore gets something like 13,000,000 tourist arrivals a year.

        In a good year, Bermuda might get 500,000. That’s an order of magnitude different. Half of those 500,000 come on cheap cruise packages with gambling on board and a good portion of the remainder are actually IB business visitors who understand the math of gambling, not vacationers.

        But never mind, there’s a lot of money involved in granting the first one or two casino licenses.

  7. Triangle Drifter says:

    I have no problem with the number of casinos being limited. the Minister said 3 last night. I do have a problem if locals will be allowed into those 3 because, besides Government taxes, profits earned off those locals will go overseas.

    If locals are going to be permitted to gamble, at the very least allow machines into the local clubs, bars & smaller hotel propertys. Yeah, the Bermudians will still lose their money but it will stay here, or at least pass through a layer of local hands instead of traveling direct to a corporate HQ overseas.

    • frank says:

      the minister last night said the casinos will be limited to 3 with new development a the head of the list.so what Southampton princess
      I think a casino outside a hotel setting should be granted

  8. swing voter says:

    I won’t attend….only because its a done deal. OBA did the right thing to remove the referendum option. just get the concession t&C paperwork done and get the investment money here…get construction going asap. Get the Princesses up and running and put Bdians to work post haste. Then the critics will STFU

  9. sage says:

    Is the fact that prostitution is legal in Singapore, looked at as ” one of the mistakes made “, or as a necessary component of the “integrated casino resort model?

    • Cow Polly says:

      Well keep looking in the jobs section for your answer…… because guess what, those Bermudians who wish to be prostitutes, legal or not, already are!

    • Hmmm says:

      I looked over the integrated casino resorts on-line…there was no offered services that you indicated.

    • No Winners Here says:

      We have prostitution already occuring in BDA and yet we have no casinos.

      Interesting attempt at correlation there, however.

    • Balanced Facts says:

      Prostitution is not illegal in Bermuda! Surprise!!!

  10. Cow Polly says:

    I think these townhalls are important to those residents who believe that the bogeyman is coming in the form of gambling. Sure there is a seedy side but one hopes that this why the Government has done its research and chosen a model that can be regulated. As Ben Dover said, gambling is not the silver bullet………. that horse bolted long ago, but if we want foreign investors to build new hotels and pour $$$ into our country then we must have the option of gambling along with other immenities that the modern traveller demands. Like it or not, Bermuda is going to have to change in order to survive.

  11. Jim Bean says:

    I am wondering…..Craig Flowers of Paradise Games in the Bahamas was convicted of gaming offences – is this the same company as Paradise Games on Court Street?? Logo seems the same!

    • Kangoocar says:

      Funny you ask that, tonight on the ZBM news, low and behold there is the plp leader beany being interviewed and he happened to have a shirt on with that logo??? The plper’s have all of a sudden become mute??? Beany has been absent from the island for quite some time now and it is a known fact that he has been in the Bahamas all this time and also is opening his betting/gaming shop on court street, HMMMMMM!!!!!!!

    • Balanced Facts says:

      Hmmm! Good question? Who financed Paradise Games in Bermuda for Mr. Bean…quite a hefty bank roll required to kick off! Any why all those computer screens in that shop? Better check that your licence covers on line gaming where the House takes a piece…could have real early problems here…PARADISE LOST is my bet!!!