Photos/Video: Paradise Games Ribbon Cutting
Paradise Games held their official ribbon cutting on Friday, with the owners, friends and supporters all gathering to officially open the Court Street betting shop.
Those present included the owners of the business, Opposition Leader Marc Bean and his wife Simone Smith-Bean, Bahamian Craig Flowers, as well as Mayor Graeme Outerbridge, Deputy Mayor Donal Smith, MP Walter Roban, MP Zane DeSilva, staff members and various other friends.
Hamilton Town Crier Ed Christopher greeted everyone, before Mayor Outerbridge cut the ribbon to the applause of those in attendance.
Speaking at the opening Mr. Smith congratulated the owners on the business, and said, “We live in a society of envy and jealousy…people can’t wait to knock you over because you do something positive, when all we need to do is understand that Bermuda Inc. is a business and we all should participate.”
Mr. Smith continued, “And when we see one another escalating up the ladder because they have a vision, and we continually start to pull each other down, it’s because that is what we have been bred into, a culture of being a crab in a damn bucket.”
“So hats off to Marc and Simone,” added Mr. Smith, who went on to encourage others to aim high in business and work to advance themselves.
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Ah… another political platform. Who would have thought.
Great way to spend your money – NOT!
Since gambling is merely a tax on the mathematically challenged, I thought the list of dignitaries at the ribbon cutting ceremony was most appropriate.
Congratulations to Mr.&Mrs.Mark Bean! definitely an inspiration..
Nice of the Mayor & Deputy Mayor to dress up for the occasion.
Speak for yourself Donal. You’re telegraphing your own thoughts and actions!
Donal Smith, looks good in orange. Hmmmmm we can only hope.
Has Donal put those signs back yet?
Ask Donal how the Mayors conference is going? How about the $150,000 down payment ?
What does that have to do with the Grand Opening of PARADISE GAMES? Premier Marc Bean has created jobs; offering a much needed solution.
Craig Flowers is involved in a Bermuda business? Who is doing the background checks here are where is the BERMUDA money really going – OUT of the island!
http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/2012/03/bahamian-numbers-racketeer-in-tci-bank-rescue-19066.html
Flowers, whose wealth is supsected to have been achieved illegally through the numbers racket, is a regular visitor to the Turks & Caicos Islands. His FML Group has about 200 employees in the Bahamas and the company operates out of an $8 million property on West Bay Street near downtown Nassau and now he his going to take our money out of the Island – watch and learn how he does things Bermuda!
This is unbelievable and our shadow MPs like Zane DeSilva are standing their applauding this???
Thanks for enlightening them people that don’t know… Here we have an Opposition Leader running a gambling joint
If not mistaken he admitted he don’t gamble himself but it’s a business! As for that character “Flowers” we (meaning Bermuda Govt.) must do some digging and find out who and what it’s about, this “Paradise Games” Is it true that “birds of the same feather flock together?” Mr Craig Flower here in Bermuda we say, “show me your company and I’ll tell you who you are”.
How interesting!
Wonder if there are any parking signs outside the shop.
Donal?
Congrats either way Bean.
Hotep To Premier Marc Bean and his Wife. Leading example of a job creator !
By taking money from people.
all businesses take money from people except marc bean is doing it better LOL
Positives? Well, there’s employment of the staff. Can’t argue with that.
A prayer for a gambling shop.LOL
I pray that I get rich not you. LOL
Donal Smith,
Are you saying the Emissions Centre at TCD was due to your business acumen, or was it something/someone else? If so please explain!
This venture CANNOT be a success without people going in and LOSING money.
I wonder if we’ll see guys counting out change to make bets they can’t afford. How many people will go in and lose their rent?
This is a business that relies on the misfortune of the people who can least afford it.
Are you saying that betting shop owners are not credible businesspersons @aceboy?
I am saying that all the knuckle touching about producing jobs doesn’t for a second identify the negatives that this business will inevitably produce. Just like when the shop was first announced Bean was quoted as saying that he doesn’t have a problem with such betting shops, if people want to walk in to a shop and WIN a little money he is fine with that. No mention that he won’t actually make any money to be able to pay his employees without his people coming in and LOSING money.
Is Bean for or against Casino gambling? I’ll bet you can’t answer that definatively, because nobody actually knows. One minute he says bring it on, the next he is protesting the fact that there was no referendum on it.
What are his ETHICAL thoughts on gambling, casio or betting shop? Is there ANY real differnce or is one worse than the other.
What do you think?
But if the Green’s set up a casino you would probably be talking about how good they are in business and what a great service to Bermuda…double standard frauds
Yes “Standing Strong” and all that…..
“Ms Smith-Bean emphasized Mr Flowers has no role in the management or financing of Paradise Games. Neither did he act as any sort of consultant for the business.
According to The Nassau Guardian, in 2011 a Bahamian magistrate confiscated more than $800,000 worth of proceeds that were seized during a sting at one of Mr Flowers’s web shops two years prior. The money, according to the judge at the time, was the fruit of illegal gambling.”
@ unbelievable,
Yes standing strong and robbing the poor (it is a tax on the poor)
and he lives large on the “TAX-PAYERS DOLLAR>”
Don’t you think we should all VOTE PLP so that they can return to power and stimulate the country with another $2.5Billion dollars of other peoples money???? And give themselves another HUGE RISE IN PAY.
Now if we were all on the Government payroll we would not need none of these Business.
All the good people present…
Donald Smith – As… as it can be, has his fingers on everything, Emissions Control ( Shareholder), COH trying to get the Mayor out, etc.
Graham Outerbridge – Can’t get any smarter them him… Joker as its best!!
Mark Bean – Against gaming, but opens a gambling place!!
The other Bahamian Business man – Has been linked with issues in Bahamas so we bring him here.
JOKERS GAME AT IT BEST!
DeSilva, Smith, Bean? Was the Mentor-in- Chief present?
That’s just what we need more people betting/losing money in tough economic times. Just wondering how many people who are there lining the pockets of the Opposition leader are receiving financial assistance and voted PLP?
Nice GIF, Bernews.
if the Opposition Leader wanted to do some thing useful – how about opening a small credit institution whereby people with not so good credit ratings could rebuild themselves, save, provide an alternative to the Front and Reid Street banks…oh and create jobs.
Maybe Grant Gibbons could offer that? But, then again, his bank had to get bailed out!
Capital G was never bailed out…not once
There was never a requirement to raise external capital to keep the Bank afloat.
If you can’t understand such nuances then you should probably refrain from speaking on such issues.
A bailout is what the Dr. Brown administration did for the BIU regadign the ‘foregiveness’ of the Berkeley bond and what they promised to do for the Credit Union before they were voted out. Those are bail outs using taxpayers funds. And before you start on BNTB, that was a simple Government guaranee with no money changing hands. Actually, the government receives a small fee each year for the guarantee.
FYI
Thats too much work!
broke people with no money using their last few cents to make some other fool rich how stupid can people be
People Gamble away their money in the church “collection plate” too Frank
Im confused, I thought the PLP and its supporters where the ones who where filled with so much hate….. smdh
They are as well.
You fully well know that given that you are a constant contributor/reader of Bernews posts. Funny that you never ‘attack’ these posts.
If you want further confirmation tune into Radio during the week to further evidence this fact.
14 yrs and this is the only ‘business’ an MP from the green machine has started? Don’t get me wrong, I’m for anyone who jumps into the fire but so much more could have been done to cut into the businesses that matter…supermarkets, wholesale, import air and sea freight, alternative power generation etc. BTW what happened to Lister’s electric vehicle business that was to be launched years ago…looks like Auto Solutions have that cornered!
So i take it ALL the other betting shops are ok?
I assume no-one has complained about them is because they aren’t owned by a PLP or black individual.
If you don’t like it, then don’t go place any bets.
It’s that simple
Bermydude you obviously have nothing but envy and hate for the Beans, in spite of your comments they are employing Bermudians and contributing to many businesses in the community by supporting their products. Stop Hating.
I can paint Verbal Kint with the same brush!
And I guess you and yours have nothing but hate and envy for Richards, Dunkley, Pamplin et al right?
The money comes out of the community. Betting shops make money on other people’s misfortunes.
Just out of curiousity, how is the legislation written that allows for such betting parlours, but yet the police vehmenently shut down small poker games among consenting adults, removed gaming machines while not allowing any other forms of betting to occur on island. And is the legislation suspended or simply overlooked when it comes to Cup Match crown and anchor?
And just to note I have no problem with Bean’s betting parlour as we are a democracy where people should not be dictated to as to how they spend their monies. Just curious of how certain forms of gambling is deemed legal while others are shunned.
Nobody has ever explained why betting shops are legal and poker isn’t. Or why ‘charity poker’ gets a pass. The legislation lists bingo as exempt from the Game of Chance list (although we don’t know why, officially), but the Crown and Anchor legislation is definitely overlooked for the most part. The whole thing is just strange and muddled.
The church lobby has been eerily silent on this issue for a long time as well, which is strange considering casino legislation is around the corner.
Off the topic, but Mrs. Bean is very pretty. She looks very dignified.
Follow the money.
Ripping off the poor.
What a way to make money Mr.Bean.congratulations for your wonderful business. How much tax is the business paying to govt ?
Well done to the Beans there are other betting spots in Bermuda and no mention of hate to them. Really I have seen so many people bet this year you should just walk around and see so why not open a betting shop
Well, isn’t this interesting! it seems ok for a White Bermudian family (Gibbons) to do business in the Bahamas, but not ok for a Black Bahamian (Flowers) to do business in Bermuda! So sad.
Has the Gibbons been convicted of running an illegal gambling operation in BDA or the Bahamas or had past dealings with a now dead despot?
And like many I have no idea where anyone else does business outside of this island.
But making it a simple black and white issue is simply for simple minds.
According to many posters on here Mr.Bean is wrong for going after some of the money spent on Queen Street . All he is doing is taking the money from the other community and transferring it to his community .
Not ok, I would not be in favor of any business that takes advantage of the disadvantaged. Whether Opposition Leader or not. The disadvantaged – educationally, financially, mentally,sick. Gambling addiction is a bonafide disease.
in my opinion i’d like to congratulate marc an his missus for securing their future while he is in a position to use what ever he used to accomplish the opening of a betting shop in a country where betting is illegal unless you’re betting with the select few…now he has something to fall back on, his political career will fade, it’s waltons turn now…hahahaha.
ps. i must admit that some ARE waking up, waking up kinda late though, unfortunately there are still far too many sleepers…and those sleepers are gonna be the demise of those that ARE awake. oh,,,if u don get dis comment…ur prolly one a dem sleepas…nyt nyt
an for all u haters out there…he did it ,now so can you…right? you should be thanking him for paving the way…yah?
Congrats to Marc and Simone… Wishing you much success and prosperity.
Way to take advantage of the struggling Marc Bean (PLP) “again”!!!
I don’t see either Mr or Mrs Bean waving a ‘golden goose’ in the shop window to try and entice persons into their establishment. Its my money and if I choose to gamble or not, that’s my business. All those persons being critical of the Beans are just foolish. That’s one of the problems in Bermuda, people are alwys trying to push their morality on to others.
I am not a gambler, but I support free enterprise, which is what the Beans have commenced. I don’t hear people complaining about any of the hotels, opening up new restaurants and taking people’s money. If you gamble, feel free to participate, thats your right and your own business. If you dont, that your right as well. It’s called freedom of choice.