Jun 2, 2008**** Dear sirs, It should have happened a long time ago, but as the saying goes, better late than never. So when Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced several months ago that he was considering legalising the numbers business, because the laws against it could not be enforced, or so it seemed, for most that was welcomed news. I for one have long been concerned about The Bahamas political leaders being held hostage by religionists who set up ramparts against gambling on the supposed ground that gambling is immoral. Over time, the opposition eroded as so called number houses mushroomed with the advent of modern technology. The idea of a national lottery surfaces every now and then, but, off course, this always draws howls of protest from the religious establishment. However, given that churches, businesses and charities actively promote and participate in games of chance in the shape of raffles and other drawings, this strikes me as being more than a tad hypocritical. Futhermore, such protest fails to take into account the existing underground economy of the illegal numbers racket, which according to my inside sources, can generate more money for our national coffers than all the casino taxes collected by the Government in 2006, if the industry is properly regulated.. This assumes a tax on gross revenue of say 71/2% per annum. Such activity is illegal, everyone knows it is illegal, yet still it flourishes, sometimes with the tacit acceptance and even active participation of those charged with enforcing the law. How ridiculous is this? The entire country pays lip service to the notion that gambling is illegal in order to satisfy some self-righteous penchant for keeping up appearances, while at the same time what seems like the entire population blithely engages in games of chance of one description or another, in broad daylight and out in the open. Yes, one can argue that those purchasing raffle tickets designed to raise money for local charities have altruistic or philanthropic motives that are as pure as the driven snow, but, in my experience, they definitely have their eyes fixed on the car, the Caribbean cruise or whatever the major prize might be. Why not therefore, legalise what is already taking place and benefit the entire community instead of just those engaged in the numbers racket? There can be little doubt that it would generate new revenue streams for government for the financing of education, health. sports, roads, community outreach programmes and other significant projects while boosting many aspects of our economy in general, and really, how difficult would it be to regulate and police properly? For too long, in my view, gambling in The Bahamas has been the usual can of worms, on which the lid has been kept tightly closed by local interests of one kind or another. The recent announcement by the Prime Minister has stimulated much discussion. It is my considered view that the time to act on this matter is NOW!
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:43:33 +0000