Our Growing Gambling Culture

The Editor,

I wish to refer to the Nassau Guardian of March 16, 2017 and in particular to the Opinion page entitled, “The Dangerous Consequences of a Growing Gambling Culture”.

I wish to thank and commend the author for an excellent article, so much so, that I wish to highlight some of the relevant paragraphs, hoping they will be read by church and state:

1. The rise of a gambling culture, fueled by a few business houses will adversely and negatively affect the Bahamas for decades.
2. Many Family Islands, with limited financial resources, and economic opportunities are being drained of money. Little of this money is ever returned to those communities.
3. “Spinning” is the common game of chance for most and it is thought to be highly addictive. More women are spinning than men. With women heading most households, and being the main bread winners, this is especially alarming.
4. What is happening in our country is profoundly inequitable, and an offense to social justice and national progress. Over decades we will see the considerable opportunity cost of allowing a few to live lavishly, while thousands of Bahamians will remain poorly educated.
5. Unlike other economic enterprises, those who run the gambling houses produce nothing of economic value, in terms of the numbers business itself. Instead of allowing these persons to hoard our money for themselves, a public lottery with the bulk of the proceeds being returned to the Bahamian people would be better for the country.

I share the above information, hoping concerned citizens, especially Pastors and Priests, will be challenged to think about the negative impact of web shop gambling, and would like to leave them with the words of William Merrill:

Rise up, o man of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of Kings

Let me finish with the words of the Honorable Minister for Gaming in the Nassau Guardian of March 13, 2017: “There is still work to be done, but we are making progress.”

I would like to challenge the Honorable Minister with the following:

1. Introduce regulations and enforce them, so that under 18 years are not allowed in web shops.
2. Give serious thought to web shops being open for only six days a week, closed on Sunday. This will provide a few more dollars for lunch money, tennis, books, etc.
3. Give serious thought to increasing the percentage of the gross take. At present it is a crying shame.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick J. Bethel
March 30, 2017