By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
THE Government will regularise and tax webshop gaming by July 1, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe announced yesterday.
After more than a year of speculation following the “No Vote” in the 2013 Gaming Referendum, Mr Wilchcombe revealed that the government will bring regulations to the House of Assembly within the next two weeks which will legalise the industry.
In wrapping up his mid-year budget contribution, Mr Wilchcombe said while he respects the church’s position and the results of the referendum, there comes a time when the government must make “the tough decisions and govern”.
One of those decisions, he said, is ending the debate on webshop gaming by taxing and regulating the numbers industry before the beginning of the new fiscal year in June.
“We had the referendum, we accepted the referendum but truth be told we have an issue we have to deal with. We have an issue that has been out there for too long and we kicked it like it was a political football, but the time for change is now.
“We are not going to kick it any further. I intend to bring to the Government of the Bahamas in two weeks, the regulations that are being proposed by my ministry, the regulations I hope to bring to Parliament in May on the table in the House of Assembly, when we have the debate on gaming, to make the regularized webshops official by July 1 of this year,” he said.
“We are not going any further and wasting time on this debate – not on my watch. We respect the church. No one in this country can question the PLP’s relationship with the church, no one. No one can question that we took steps and we became a nation because of the church. No one can question our support for the church. I am an Anglican, Mr Speaker. No one can question my support of the Archbishop – no one. No one can tell me about what I believe in.
“In fact, Mr Speaker, what is interesting is I am a fellow who don’t drink; don’t drink a piece of liquor and I am a fellow who don’t smoke and I am a fellow who don’t participate in the webshops, but I understand sometimes when you run a country you have to make decisions and we have a situation in our country right now.
“We pretend as if it doesn’t exist, it does exist Mr Speaker. We cannot sit down and talk about we have a law-abiding country when we know full well, based on what they are doing now, they are breaking the law. We cannot set examples for the young people in our country if we refuse to act. The church will have difficulties, the church will take its strong position and we have no difficulty with that and I certainly don’t have a difficulty with that, I understand that. The one thing is though, the Church will preach and the Church will teach, but we must govern. That is our responsibility and, Mr Speaker, we will do so.”
Mr Wilchcombe said a legal team, comprised of members from his ministry and members from the Gaming Board, are working to map out exactly how the new legislation will work. He also said a Gaming Commission will be formed to monitor the web shops activity.
“It is important,” he said, “for us to understand that in this country we have to do what is right, given the circumstances. So I intend to put a proposal to the government, a proposal that speaks to the webshops, that speaks to a fee they must pay, that speaks to how we believe that the money should be distributed. My colleagues will make the final decision before it comes here.
“My ministry, my legal team has been engaged. We have brought in people who have put in place the technology we require to monitor the system, to monitor what is going on based on what we see in the reports of how things are done (and) how it is going to work. It will require us employing new Bahamians to work and we will have a revamp of the Gaming Board to create a Gaming Commission. A Gaming Commission that will have a full time chairman. The executive chairman will have a body, that will certainly be able to monitor what is going on in our country and in so far as the gaming laws are concerned we are going to change those.”
Mr Wilchcombe said he expects when the legislation is brought to the House, that the FNM would fully support it. He also said he will continue to hold discussions with the Church, not with a view to change their minds, but to help them understand and appreciate the government’s decision.
Debate on the Bill is expected to start in May.
Comments
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
Oh yes, by-elections can be forced "by the peoples" upon any sitt'in government or opposition MP. The Comrade PLP's and now the red shirts have united as "one" to take a 360 degree turn away from respecting the voices of the people. Bahamalander's will have to decide come 2017, or during any by-election called/forced in the meantime, if their support for the two "now joined at the hip phony political parties, does vaporizes at about 360 degrees Fahrenheit to take the red shirts own damn torch and burn they votes in hell, before ever again supporting either these two parties. Comrades we shall see, if we as a peoples are really as stupid as these two parties play us to be. This masquerade by both political parties ain't go'in be over, til after the fat lady does sing.
Lord Jesus, pray for all we law-abiding Bahamalander's and burn in political Hell, all the rest.
JohnDoes 10 years, 1 month ago
Technically the referendum questions, despite a majority NO, will still have allowed them to operate illegally without being regulated. The question is now, why dont they tax the dope man for his 'illegal' operation? or the arms dealer for his? It seems that the government is very 'selective' and 'discriminate' on what they enforce. Illegal is illegal, plain and simple. These bosses should have been doing jail time a long time ago. It only breaks the citizen's heart to see such lawlessness get away scott-free.
Eban 10 years, 1 month ago
Such an ignorant and un-thought through statement. How could one compare the numbers industry to drugs and arms dealings at any level. For one, how many people have been killed from the numbers industry as compared to drug or arms dealers?
B_I_D___ 10 years, 1 month ago
Sadly Tal...we are really that stupid...or at least the majority stupid...the few bright stars out there can't shine bright enough to beat stupid...may as well just dumb ourselves down and join the ranks.
JohnDoes 10 years, 1 month ago
Why did they waste our country's money and time on a referendum that they did not adhere to? Why is the Tourism Minister dealing with something that the Gaming Board has responsibility of? Where is PGC in all of this and why is he hiding behind Wilchcombe? We the people will also need to see how this industry will be regularized, details and all, because these number bosses are raking in an excess of 200 million a year through an illegal business. Will they pay for the years that they have been opened and did not pay the government? How can this be regularized without proper implementation of gambling rehabilitation programs? I mean they are just making criminals more comfortable in what they do in this country especially now that they will be able to deposit their dusty money into clean accounts. Now I regret not delving into this illegal business to at least secure my millions for life.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 1 month ago
Bunch of liars and crooks...not much else to say. Does it surprise me though...not one little bit. The very second the words came out of their mouths about a referendum on the topic, it was a done deal. The sad thing is, they are contradicting what the population resoundingly disagreed with. Just more evidence that the government does not care what the people think, they are going to do what they damn well please, even if everyone is against it. Govern my arse...payback of political favours is not governing.
jackbnimble 10 years, 1 month ago
This country is on its way to hell in a handbasket. It will take an Act of God to have these idiots removed! May God arise and his enemies be scattered!
Purcell 10 years, 1 month ago
The Bahamas is pining to be a banana republic. Unfortunately we will never be able to reach that high.
Reality_Check 10 years, 1 month ago
Both Hubert and Perry sold their souls to the Numbers' Bosses during the last three or four general elections and it is these criminal thugs who are now running the country. Wake up Bahamians to the reality that neither the FNM nor PLP represents the interests of the average Bahamian or the interests of the Bahamas at large. Get ready you poor suckers that keep voting either PLP or FNM to chow down on some serious tax increases like VAT that will undoubtedly drive your cost of living through the roof but not affect in any way the unjustly rich quality of life enjoyed by the criminal political elite of the FNM and PLP and their unscrupulous equally criminal and greedy business cronies.
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
The public has every right to know, if there have in fact been private meetings going on between the PLP and FNM leaderships over the legalization of the numbers rackets? Funny how the reds have always taken the position that it was Bran's greens that cost them the 2012 General Elections but at least, not yet anyways, Bran has not indicated he wants be the third party to this political hip joining of the reds and golds. My, my how the red supporters have been disgraced by their own leadership. Just maybe Comrade Dr. Duane should make his move for the red's leadership, like today?
JohnDoes 10 years, 1 month ago
Not Duane, we dont need another egotistical person in charge of this country. Do you really want his miscalculation of open heart surgery to be caused by political pressure? He's doing fine where he is, this is not something that will be healthy for his career.
242 10 years, 1 month ago
The PLp are the government yet Tal somehow thinks the fnm had something todo with the plpa decision. So every time the PLp do something you don't agree with it was either the fnm influenced it or Hubert did it first. Got it. Finally understand Tal Russel now.
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
Comrade 242 before you ram broadside up against me, I'd refer you to Minnis's very own recent declaration made before the media, that from now on, he and his MP's would start acting like they were the government and not just some small opposition party holding but a phone-booth-sized number of House seats? Believe me, ain't me just mak'in this stuff up, all for making you boil-over.
242 10 years, 1 month ago
What party has control of the government?
Honestman 10 years, 1 month ago
In my view it doesn't make sense to criminalise an activity (i.e. playing numbers) that the majority of the population participates in. Like it or not numbers houses are built into the fabric of Bahamian society. I am not a gambler myself but people should have the right to gamble if they so choose. Certainly Bahamians should have the right to gamble in their own country if foreigners are allowed to. Thus, I believe the government is ultimately making the correct decision on web shops, however , I can understand why so many Bahamians will be angry at how the PLP has gone about this whole business.
In my view the PLP should have stated in their manifesto that if they came to power they would legalise web shop gambling. That is what they have always wanted to do and by all accounts the party accepted substantial campaign funding from the numbers bosses on the understanding that this is what they would do. If they had made this clear during the election campaign I don't think it would have cost them the election and the electorate would at least have been able to say that the party was being up front and honest. However, openness and integrity are not hallmarks of the PLP. The decision instead to include the promise of a referendum on the issue was typical PGC - he was thinking as a politician and not as a leader. To go to the people with the dishonest claim that his party "had no horse in the race" was lamentable and a very costly mistake for the country. Can you imagine what the REAL cost of the referendum must have been when you take into account the amount of government time spent on the matter, the cost of consultants and the loss of a day's productivity? And then when the people, seeing through PGC's duplicity, vote NO the government ignored their vote, refused to close web shops as promised and actually allowed them to flourish!!! This is why Bahamians are angry this morning - they have been taken for an absolute ride. Surely no Bahamian will ever bother to participate in a referendum again?
As I said at the top, I believe government has finally made the right decision but its dishonesty and prevarication over the issue has cost the tax payer dearly. This will be the Prime Minister's legacy and that of his party.
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
Comrade Honestman I don't think most Bahamalnder's actually know what and who the PLP is about to legalize. I'd strongly recommend that Comrade Minister Obie first make dam sure they run the the government's planned legalization of the numbers rackets, by the new American Ambassador, as they just might be about to legalize an activity which could very well go against the lottery and gaming laws of respective American states? Will the government include in the new legislation some fine print that all dirty-money will now be automatically washed-clean? Maybe the Tribune can do some real journalism by asking the new American Ambassador their own set of questions?
Reality_Check 10 years, 1 month ago
To the Honestman commentator above: YOU FAIL TO REALISE THE THE DISASTEROUS IMPLICATIONS OF MAKING IT LEGAL FOR THE FNM AND PLP ALIKE TO OBTAIN FUNDING FROM THE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES RUN BY THE NUMBERS BOSSES! THE FNM AND PLP PARTIES HAVE BROKEN JUST ABOUT EVERY ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW THAT THEY THEMSELVES HAVE PUT IN PLACE AS A RESULT OF THEIR PROPENSITY TO ACCEPT THE WELL KNOWN PROCEEDS OF CRIME ASSOCIATED WITH THE NUMBERS BOSSES. Hubert, Christie and their cohorts need to be held accountable by the Bahamian people for their crimes and not given a free pass that will evidence to the world the decay and destruction of our now very fragile democracy. It's really all as simple as that!
Honestman 10 years, 1 month ago
The moral fabric of Bahamian society has been in decline since the seventies when politicians succumbed to the lure of kick backs from the drug barons. The Bahamas has never recovered from those days and you are no doubt correct that both FNM and PLP have benefitted over the years by funding from "dirty"money. However, trying to make illegal something that the majority of Bahamians participate in is fruitless . A law must have popular support in order to be sustained - wasn't this one of the reasons why Prohibition failed in the States? I don't think many Bahamians are comfortable about numbers bosses getting a "get out of jail free card" and so I would hope that government will hit them with an almighty bill for tax on past transactions. Regulation will not be a straight forward exercise but these numbers houses cannot continue to trade tax free as they are doing right now. What is the alternative? Do you think that if we close them down Bahamians will stop playing numbers? Of course not, the activity will simply go underground. So that being so, government MUST regulate and tax - the public purse needs the additional revenue. Also, continuing to criminalize these operations is also not good for the country as it promotes a disrespect for the law. I do get where you are coming from but in my view regulation is the best outcome given all the circumstances.
concernedcitizen 10 years, 1 month ago
@honestman ,,not just the politicians ,but us as a people we have no morals ,,,75% illegitimacy rate ,,total disregard for marriage vows through sweet hearting ,,,,the court on my island is stuffed to the brim trying to get able bodied grown men to pay their meager child support ...
hj 10 years, 1 month ago
Why don't we make it official now? Maybe from now on we should ask the web shop operators f they will implement VAT,how they will brrig more tourists and investors s in our country nd so on. It has now become clear who is in charge.
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
If the PLP steps all over its own citizens with its (WWWWH) it has lost all legitimacy to govern Bahamaland. I have never spoken out against the government of the Bahamas owning and operating a lottery. What concerns me is who these licenses are about to be handed out to. Honestly, I don't think the government is being lead by their own convictions on this one. To suggest that the numbers rackets in Bahamaland can be legalized by simply allowing the same people to operate in the same way, by no more than stroke of the PM's pen is to to completely ignore the votes of your own citizens. Comrades it is treason-ism by any government to quash the legitimate votes of your own people. Comrades this has much more to do with the "who, what, where, when and how" (WWWWH) of what this PLP government is doing, what its planning to do for the numbers "bosses." And, we now know that even the red party is right up there with their own version of nonsenses.
Bahamianpride 10 years, 1 month ago
what a waste of the countries time, money and emotions.... Curious to know what was spent on the whole political process with this issue..
Finalword 10 years, 1 month ago
I believe in the legalisation of “the numbers”. That being said, are we not missing the point: democracy? When the electors put a question to the people they are morally bound to follow that dictate. Should the Government now wish to pass the legislation for numbers they MUST seek a mandate from the people to do so. This is not about numbers; it is about our system of Government. I challenge any one to show me where in a civilised democracy where it was done what our Government (not sure that Government is that stupid, or let say Minister Obie) is proposing.
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
I go'in be substituting the manufacture's spoon so when the minister thinks he is carefully measuring the dose, unbeknown's him he be using a special super-sized measuring spoon to measure his medicine. Comrades it will be anchor's away moments after I ship Comrade Minister Obidire his required minimum of 5 dozes daily of Milk of Magnesia, that is known to produce a bowel movement interaction in PLP politicians, the likes of no other laxative known to mankind. I;m all ears if you have more effective and quicker way for extracting out him how he s tak'in all us, not only for a bunch of fools, but stupid ones too.
carlh57 10 years, 1 month ago
2nd world nation, trying really hard to be a 3rd world nation....
shonkai 10 years, 1 month ago
The minister is talking about the church too much, it was the people of the Bahamas that voted in the referendum, not the church(es).
jackbnimble 10 years, 1 month ago
Fa real! My "NO" vote had nothing to do with any church. So I guess I was NOT in the majority and deluded too, aye????? Chal pleez!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 1 month ago
Who is the Prime Minister?
kg89 10 years, 1 month ago
Get over it people..most Bahamians participate in it daily.
jackbnimble 10 years, 1 month ago
MOST??????????????????????
asiseeit 10 years, 1 month ago
I agree that web shops should be made legal and TAXED but I am very worried about the Bahamas when the government holds a REFERENDUM and the TOTALLY ignores the will of the people. Is this a democracy or a dictatorship? The political class of this country do as they please and only pay lip service to the People. They are corrupt, lack morals, have no ethics, and take the people for fools. This is very dangerous as sooner or later the people WILL rise up. I am very worried for my beloved BahamaLand that is being destroyed by the political class. The future does NOT look bright and there is a storm brewing, the people are angry!
TalRussell 10 years, 1 month ago
Ask a Comrade professor emeritus of political science or any one of NassauTown's Street corners, if they can explain why is it a referendum vote in Bahamaland is not to be considered as binding on the this PLP government and you know what they will tell you, that not only are they not lying to you out they gold-teeth when they tell you its direct democracy PLP style at work in Bahamaland, but they couldn't less what you think, cause they don't believe you have it in you to throw them out office, before 2017. Comrades tell PM Christie and his Minister Obidiere that since they saying the peoples "NO Vote" good until date, has now expired, best you tell this PLP government, that likewise their good until 2017 mandate date is also about to expire, much earlier than the people had promised the PLP back in 2012.
jujutreeclub 10 years, 1 month ago
Obie is an automatic billionaire now cause he will be seen as the one who allowed this to happen so the numbers house owners now is obligated to him.
henny 10 years, 1 month ago
Common sense was not used when the referendum was first put out to the people. It was not even worded right. As I have stated from the beginning, if the referendum brought a "NO" vote, the web shops should have been closed. Since they have not and seems the government has no intention of doing so, then by all means legalize and tax them. Next time you should think better on whether or not a referendum should be put to the people.
DEDDIE 10 years, 1 month ago
Henny, a precedent will be set if the referendum is overturn. Any future referendum will not be worth the paper it is written on.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 1 month ago
U ur rite, sir. We will be stuck with our Constitution for another generation.......... like the Hebrews in da wilderness
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