National Lottery
The Bahamian Lottery (BL) Hypothesis Publication White Paper with seven key policy proposals for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas — By Dr. Kevin J. Alcena-Turnquest, Ph.D. in Developing Economics
According to an article written by Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs and republished by the Oxford University Press, “That there are no references to gambling in the Bible can hardly lead to the conclusion that this activity, found in all cultures both ancient and modern, was unknown in the biblical period; although it can be concluded that gambling was not widespread enough to constitute a social evil, otherwise its condemnation would have been recorded somewhere in the biblical records.”
Efficient law enforcement against illegal operators is the primary means to protect the Bahamian Consumer
The Bahamas, 21 July 2012, — now it’s 2022 , the umbrella organisation of national lotteries in The Bahamas, has made public its White Paper on a sound and sustainable gambling policy for the benefit of society.
Protecting Bahamian consumers against illegal operators that flood the Bahamian markets with dangerous products should be the first and foremost aim of any action in The Bahamas at a national level. Ahead of the publication of the proposed Bahamian Commission’s Action Plan on Gambling expected for this year, BL outlines seven key proposals for the Bahamian Institutions and for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas that can contribute to achieving this goal.
We have heard on numerous occasions from religious leaders, the Bahamian people and ministers at large that if gambling is going to be a profitable business in the Bahamas they it needs to be regulated and properly controlled. This is just a proposed referendum for the Prime Minister and Bahamians at large to recognize the call loud and clear that the protection of Bahamian consumers should be the primary aim of any referendum or policy action in the field of gambling. We should stand firmly committed to supporting the Bahamian referendum that all Bahamian number houses should be monitored by the Gambling Board and pay their fair taxes in order to fight against the illegal operations of gambling houses that are not benefiting directly in regards to tax collection. “That paper money has some advantages is admitted. But that its abuses also are inevitable and, by breaking up the measure of value, makes a lottery of all private property, cannot be denied.” (Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Josephus B. Stuart, 1817)
According to the Public Gaming Research Institute date July 3, 2012, the Right Honorable Prime Minister Perry G. Christie stated that “The major parties agreed that they will put it to a referendum; and that is significant because we cannot continue to institutionalize hypocrisy in the governance of The Bahamas,”. Therefore, if the referendum is passed in favor of establishing a national lottery and taxing number houses for Bahamians, then the BL expresses the following key demands towards the Bahamian Gambling Institutions around the Commonwealth of The Bahamas:
1. Cooperate to fight illegal operators: The Bahamas Government should establish a Gambling Council and its Working Group that should study and make proposals for the forms of gambling that will work in conjunction with financial intelligence and the Gaming Board through information exchange and administrative coordination between to fight illegal gambling.
2. Effective law enforcement to protect consumers: The Bahamas Government need to put in place law enforcement mechanisms against illegal operators, such as blocking of illegal websites and placing illegal operators on a publicly accessible black list if they do not have a license .
3. Unfair operator principle: The Bahamas Government is to act in coordination and refuse licences to operators that are breaking the law in another Caricom countries, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and the United States of America. There must be bi-lateral agreements with the US Federal Governments, State Governments, and the Caribbean community. There should be a strategical reciprocity agreement from all member states so that at the end of the day the Government will benefit from all wins if they occur outside the Bahamas. In other words if a Bahamian wins anywhere else in the law there should be a tax levy against their winnings so that the Government will still benefit.
4. Extend the Anti-Money Laundering Directive to all forms of online gambling.
5. Preserve the Integrity of Sport: The Bahamas and Caricom Member of States as well as the US Federal Government need to take strong actions against sports fraud.
6. Recognise the primary competence of Caricom Member of States in the field of gambling: The Bahamian Institutions, mainly the Gambling Board, the financial intelligence, the compliance commission, the office of the Attorney General in particular need to establish its forthcoming Action Plan for Caricom in order to clearly recognise Member States’ primary competence in the field of gambling, in particular with regard to protecting public order and consumers.
7. Furthermore, BL demands that the sustainable contribution of lotteries to society is taken into account in all discussion at Caricom level, therefore a it is imperative that Caricom establishes a Caribbean Council of Gambling.
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” (Sun Tzu)
Proposal For The Government White Paper On The National Lottery
The Government can regulate the distribution of funds from the National Lottery in the following areas:
1. A National Lottery will help to fund the areas of health, sports, education and environmental projects. In other words funding from midweek draws will assist with the Government in paying for after-school clubs, IT training for teachers, the fight against obesity, create jobs for the unemployed, Urban Renewal programs, the elderly and the handicapped in the various communities.
2. Greater accountability in the way Lottery cash is shared out.
3. A National Endowment Fund for Tourism projects, Eco-Tourism, Cancer Research, AIDS Prevention promotions, teenage pregnancy, Child Abuse, Geriatrics Research, The Teen Correctional Facilities, Research, National Heritage, Libraries, Religious Tourism, Sports, Technology and Science, Forestry and Agriculture, which will be independent of the Government.
4. A panel to assist Lottery watchdogs, maximising cash for good causes and advising on the award of the lottery contract to a non-profit making organisation. The Government should establish new legislation for financial intelligence Unit or the Compliance Commission as well as the Gambling Board to lobby fines for operators who breach the lottery license.
My View
“You’re neither right nor wrong because other people agree with you. You’re right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right-and that’s the only thing that makes you right.”(Warren Buffett)
I write this for the love of my country and my Government so that the Bahamian people can be guided on a systematic implementation on a proposed Hypothesis White Paper that they can draw from, understanding and system thinking on how to establish the intricacies on gambling in the Bahamas and the bilateral agreements that must follow any legislation if the Government is successful in its proposed referendum. According to Stephen Bubb, chief executive, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, “”The national lottery has given an incredible injection of cash to good causes. They have received nearly £13bn since the lottery began. The voluntary sector needs to get behind the new distributor to make sure that all our good work can continue, and that the public knows about it.”
Everybody knows what the National Lottery is — how it is played, how big the prizes are — but not so many of us understand what it does.
“Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.” (Adam Smith)
According the online Wikipedia, “The first recorded signs of a lottery are keno slips from the Chinese Han Dynasty between 205 and 187 B.C. These lotteries are believed to have helped to finance major government projects like the Great Wall of China.” (Wikipedia)
“Adventure upon all the tickets in the lottery, and you lose for certain; and the greater the number of your tickets the nearer your approach to this certainty.” (Adam Smith)
“The first known European lotteries were held during the Roman Empire, mainly as an amusement at dinner parties. Each guest would receive a ticket, and prizes would often consist of fancy items such as dinnerware. Every ticket holder would be assured of winning something. This type of lottery, however, was no more than the distribution of gifts by wealthy noblemen during the Saturnalian revelries. The earliest records of a lottery offering tickets for sale is the lottery organized by Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. The funds were for repairs in the City of Rome, and the winners were given prizes in the form of articles of unequal value.
The first recorded lotteries to offer tickets for sale with prizes in the form of money were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century. Various towns held public lotteries to raise money for town fortifications, and to help the poor. The Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij is the oldest running lottery”. (Wikipedia)
“All money is a matter of belief.” (Adam Smith)
It is proposed that The National Lottery will be established by Parliament to raise money for worthwhile causes. Out of every dollar spent on the National Lottery, 30 cents goes to the good causes. So each good cause gets a portion.
In all, it is estimated that the Bahamas can raise atleast $1 billion dollars or more for the good causes once it is established in order to improve the quality of life for everyone by building or strengthening communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
The Office of the National Lottery (OFLOT) will be established under the National Lottery Act. It should be headed by the Chairman of the Gaming Board, who will regulate and license individual games. The Chairman’s duties will be to protect players’ interests, ensure that the Lottery is run properly; and maximise the proceeds to the good causes supported by the Lottery.
“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.” (Voltaire)
“Bull markets are born in pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die of euphoria.” (Sir John Templeton) This new Government need to look at National lottery service the Bahamian people economic growth in social services. .
