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ARE LOCALS ALLOWED IN CASINOS?

Dec 23, 2014 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

There is a case before the Court in which someone took a local casino to court over a dispute over winnings. I will not comment on the substance of the dispute because the matter is sub judice. But what struck me was, that person who allegedly claimed certain entitlements was not a foreign national, nor was he a paid guest at the place where the casino is located, yet was admitted for gambling.
There was an accident recently not far away from the casino and it was reported that one of those killed was part of group of friends one of whom had membership to the casino and had taken him there.
My recollection is that when the Gambling Prevention Act of Guyana was amended, there was a big uproar by the Christian community. They were concerned that the amendment allowed for the establishment of licenced casinos in Guyana.
The religious community was concerned about the social effects of these casinos especially on young Guyanese who they feared would fritter away their earnings thereby leaving their homes without any means of sustenance. They were concerned that problems would develop in homes should casinos be allowed.
The government assured the religious community that in so far as the casinos were concerned, the amendment did not permit locals from gambling in the casinos. Only foreign nationals and persons staying at the resort or hotel -which had to have one hundred and fifty rooms—, would be admitted to the casinos.
The religious community seemed satisfied judging from its subsequent response. However, the statute says nothing about restricting entry to non-nationals. That was a matter left for regulations to be set by the Minister. One can therefore only assume that there was some regulation published that only permitted non-nationals and hotel guests to enter a casino because in the early days it was only these two categories of persons who were allowed admission.
That regulation has to have been changed or is not being enforced. I say this because at one particular casino, all you need to gain admission is to produce some form of identification. Once, for example, you have a Guyanese identification card, all you need to do is to show some form of ID, register and you will be admitted to the casino. Of course you have to be over 18 years of age.
This is what is happening at the moment. The government therefore, needs to inform the Guyanese people and the religious community to whom certain assurances were given, as to whether the regulations under the Gambling Prevention Act have been amended to allow for locals to now be admitted into casinos because it is happening and the media can confirm that this is happening.
Has there been a change in the regulations? Are Guyanese being allowed to gamble in casinos? The government needs to say clearly whether they have issued any amendments to the regulation in so far as the admission of locals to casinos is concerned or if new regulations to allow locals to gamble in casinos have been issued.
The Gaming Authority should clarify this issue. For one, the religious community would have had an expectation that they would have been consulted on any such changes to regulations governing gambling in Guyana. Secondly, there has to be some concern about the social and cultural effects of casino gambling particularly on our young people.
I noted that one of the friends of the young man who was killed in an accident this past weekend said that they went to a club but it was boring. Then they went to Baroombar and the now dead youth enjoyed himself there. Then they went to the casino. He must have also enjoyed himself there.
The point is that certain types of activities are now becoming the preferred means of enjoyment for our young people and this is something that the religious community would wish to consider and make their views known. There is also the matter of the commitment given by the government in so far as casinos are concerned.

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