Bermuda is a small and beautiful Island located just off the east coast of the United States and is a part of the British Overseas Territory. The island that depends heavily on its tourism industry has had to battle a struggling economy during the last few years and the government is looking for new ways to generate revenue.
Richard Schuetz, the executive director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission believes that Bermuda’s casino industry could be a solution to this problem as the industry will not only generated revenue for the government but also help to boost tourism on the island. The chairman of the commission Alan Dunch has already taken steps to initiate discussions with five of the biggest casino operators in the industry and is confident that they will be keen to set up operations in Bermuda.
While Bermuda is a fantastic tourist destination, it hasn’t managed to establish itself as a popular tourist destination like the Bahamas, Costa Rica or Jamaica. The commission believes that if it could sign a deal with any one of these mega-casino operators, it would go a long way in generating media attention and online publicity which would be very beneficial for the island.
The commission acknowledges the fact that there could be some opposition towards the introduction of casinos on the island as there has been a lot of publicity in the recent past about the negative impact that the gambling industry can have on a society. Schuetz does not deny the fact that the gambling industry does have a downside but states that every industry has a downside and it is all about managing and monitoring it carefully.
In a statement?Schuetz said, “There are issues, and there have to be policies in place, but typically if you look at experience after experience there is a group of people who say it’s going to be bad, but if you look at the 40 states in the US that offer casinos, any of the European or Asian countries, name one jurisdiction that said those people were right and that it was a mistake. Not one jurisdiction has ever done that.”
The Problem Gaming Council was recently formed in Bermuda to address the problems caused by the gambling industry and Schuetz stated that the commission fully supports the council and will work closely together to ensure that the best care and facilities are provided to problem gamblers. Schuetz stated that the problems associated with the gambling industry were more down to a mental issue rather than a moral issue.