{"id":27736,"date":"2012-11-07T07:58:59","date_gmt":"2012-11-07T12:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/?p=27736"},"modified":"2012-11-07T07:59:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-07T12:59:00","slug":"campaigns-for-and-against-gambling-gathering-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/2012\/11\/campaigns-for-and-against-gambling-gathering-momentum","title":{"rendered":"Campaigns For And Against Gambling Gathering Momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As the campaigns for and against web shop gambling gather momentum leading up to the December 3 referendum on the issue, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that the government will soon launch its own educational campaign.<\/p>\n

Christie also reiterated to reporters, on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony for North Abaco MP Renardo Curry as a parliamentary secretary, that the government will not take a position for or against gambling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go beyond the point where I appear to be backing one side,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey (the public) can expect from me sufficient information for them to know what they are voting on, what they are voting for and what they are voting against. The government will ensure that that takes place,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Already two groups have laid out reasons why Bahamians should either vote for or against the legalization of gaming.<\/p>\n

The Save Our Bahamas group opposes the legalization of web shop gambling, and the Gaming Referendum Coalition is in favor.<\/p>\n

According to the coalition\u2019s recently established website www.voteyesbahamas.com, \u201cthe result of a \u2018no\u2019 vote threatens the financial health of our entire nation\u201d.<\/p>\n

The website claims that web shops contribute just over $50 million to the Bahamian economy annually and provide thousands of jobs.<\/p>\n

According to the website, web shops pay $14,238,193 to the National Insurance Board (NIB) annually, and $12,277,650 annually to utility companies including Cable Bahamas, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company and the Water and Sewerage Corporation. Another $26,000,000 is paid to the Public Treasury.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 3,000 jobs exist today thanks to the Bahamian-owned gaming industry with over 2,000 indirectly brought about by related activities,\u201d the website said. \u201cNearly three percent of our available workforce is employed by our local gaming industry, providing much needed income and benefits to Bahamian families from all corners of our society. In each gaming-related business throughout this country are our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, all making an honest living and taking care of their personal and familial responsibilities with the sweat of their brow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The website adds: \u201cAs well intended as some of the opponents of the gaming industry may be, we must not allow the ideals and personal beliefs of a minority to threaten our entire way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the group of pastors behind the Save Our Bahamas group do not believe that they are in the minority. In its campaign, the group created a short video entitled \u201cPastors Saying Vote No\u201d.<\/p>\n

The short video features three pastors who each gave reasons why a \u201cyes\u201d vote would be a bad choice.
\nBishop Walter Hanchell, president of Great Commission Ministries International, said gambling destroys lives and families.<\/p>\n

\u201cGambling breeds corruption and originates out of greed,\u201d he said in the video, which was shot in a church.<\/p>\n

Pastor Cedric Moss, of Kingdom Life Church, reminded persons that \u201cthe word of God says keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have for God has promised, \u2018never will I leave you, never will I forsake you\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allan Lee, senior pastor of Calvary Bible Church, said gambling is based on greed and discontent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bible tells us that we should be content with what we have because God provides our needs,\u201d he said.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

By Krystel Rolle <\/span><\/em>
\nGuardian Staff Reporter <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the campaigns for and against web shop gambling gather momentum leading up to the December 3 referendum on the issue, already two groups have laid out reasons why Bahamians should either vote for or against the legalization of gaming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[137,569],"class_list":["post-27736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-gambling","tag-referendum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}