Calling for more research before it is launched, former vote yes coordinator and parliamentarian Philip Galanis has argued that provisions for a national lottery within the recent Gaming Bill were "not just a symbolic gesture", and that the domestic marketplace should be large enough to accommodate both a national lottery and regularized web shops.
However, Galanis said that much more research is needed.
"I've always maintained that I thought that the country was big enough to have both an organized web shop industry and a national lottery...I believe that it is not a symbolic gesture. I think it makes sense...once the research is done.
"[The lottery] is yet another opportunity for Bahamians to participate in gaming at a level that is separate and apart from what goes on in a web shop, so I think that it is viable," said Galanis amid concerns that allowing both web shop gaming and a national lottery would spread the player base too thin.
Section 58 of the 2014 Gaming Bill allows the minister to authorize the conduct of a national lottery. The bill also includes provisions for charitable and private lotteries, as well as lotteries incidental to certain entertainment events.
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe stated last week in an interview with Guardian Business that he had "no concerns" over the viability of a national lottery if it were established, and envisioned foreign participation in the lottery.
"It depends on how many people are betting and how much they are betting. It can be substantial, and it can also include visitors who come to the country... But I have no concerns whenever it happens," said Wilchcombe.
Tourists, meanwhile, cannot participate in web shop gaming.
While Galanis similarly advocated international participation in the lottery, he felt that its success depends on the government conducting extensive research before its implementation.
"We really don't know until we do the research. We have to do the research to understand how many people are likely to participate in a national lottery. My sense is that they will... There are some Bahamians who will participate in the lottery who will never walk into a web shop, and there are persons who engage in web shop activities...who will also participate [in the lottery].
"Much will depend on the winnings, what amount will people likely win, how frequently is it held, will the regulations be in place to ensure that there is credibility, transparency, accountability for the process," claimed Galanis.
Galanis also responded to comments made last week by web shop representative Alfred Sears, who supported the government's plans to restrict the number of licenses it granted to web shops, as it would avoid "proliferation" of web shops. Galanis similarly supported the regulations, but suggested that the country could expect several large and small web shops to merge due to the restrictions.

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