With a huge chunk of a possible national lottery expected to go toward the development of sports, at least one sports administrator is speaking out on the issue. Danny Sumner, president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF), is encouraging his fellow sports enthusiasts, and civic and social groups to vote "yes" for the establishment of a national lottery, whenever the referendum on the issue is held.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has already gone on record to say that an imminent by-election in the North Abaco constituency would take priority at this time, but a referendum on a potential national lottery and gambling in the country is one of his party's pre-election promises that they fully intend to live up to. It is an issue that church leaders have been 100 percent against since its inception. Sumner said that he understands that the church has a role to play, but added that a national lottery at this time would be ideal for the country in ways more than one.
"Sports play an integral part in the development of a country, but I am not looking for a national lottery to be primarily in place just for sports. There are other benefits that can be derived from this, in terms of education which could go a long way, and culture," he said. "It is important that the country develops along with the growing population. I am encouraging all sporting and civic organizations to vote yes for the lottery.
From an economic point of view, the government could use the finances and the resources." Sumner said that the big picture is very clear, mentioning that a number of sporting events have already benefitted from the proceeds of local numbers houses, and a number of scholarships have been given out. "I just don't look at the numbers houses as being morally wrong - none of the 10 commandments speak out against it.
Yes it can be addictive but a lot of things that we practice in this society are addictive," said Sumner. "At the end of the day, it is not something that is mandated on the citizens of the country. Like everything else, it is a choice that individuals would have to make for themselves. I will never go against the church, but Christianity is an individual thing. Everyone has to make a choice for themselves.
Christianity is a matter of choice as it is with having numbers houses open up. You can decide to gamble or not - that is your personal choice. God created the world for us to have a choice, and playing numbers would be a choice." Right now, there's no telling if the referendum would be held before the year is out. By order of the prime minister, a by-election would occur first, and no date has been set for that as yet. A by-election would have to be held before the end of October though, meaning that the referendum on the issue could be held before the year is out.
"I think the church needs to sit down and get a bigger dialogue of what is going on," said Sumner. "It shouldn't have anything to do with your Christian belief or your spiritual background. A lot of things are going on in churches that are morally wrong - more prevalent things are keeping us back. The church has a role to play and that is fair, but I think they have a bigger responsibility in getting young people prepared mentally and spiritually rather than imposing moral values on people.
God gave us a choice and it's up to us to decide which road we want to take." Sumner said that as a country, we have to look at the bigger picture and take a look at what is going on around us. He said that every other Caribbean country has some sort of national lottery, and it is paying dividends for them. "This is something that I personally have pushed for, for five years now. I think it will go a log way in assisting government in the implementation of a lot of things for culture, education, sports, and of course infrastructure.
It will take some of the burden off the limited funding that is coming in right now. With all due respect to the church, it is the right thing for the country right now," said Sumner. "Some prominent church members, and in some cases, church pastors are doing it. It is something that is entrenched in our society right now. The reality is that crime, which is not primarily because of gambling, is high right now and that should be a bigger focus."
Sumner said that he is of the belief that roughly half of the proceeds from a national lottery should go towards social development and sporting activities. "When you look at it right now, the Red Cross is always in need of funds and the Ranfurly Home for Children needs funds. There are a lot of sporting programs that need funds in order for them to experience any success. All of these things are vital to the development of a country," said Sumner.
"From a sports perspective, there is a lot of potential in the country, but if we don't have the resources to tap into that talent pol, we will lose a lot of our athletes." In reality, a number of sports organizations and sporting events have already benefitted from funds from numbers houses. Those establishments are regular sponsors of regattas in particular.
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