A prominent pastor has called the government's proposed Gaming Act a "shame and a disgrace".
Rev. Dr. Philip McPhee, of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, was referring to a bill that would allow local casino operators to facilitate online and mobile gambling.
"I think it is a shame and a disgrace to even [consider] passing that type of legislation without giving Bahamians the full opportunity to benefit from it," he said.
McPhee had pushed for the passing of a referendum on web shop gaming and the establishment of a national lottery.
The majority of people who voted in the January 28 gambling referendum voted 'no'. Voter turnout was less than 50 percent.
The question of whether Bahamians ought to be permitted to gamble in casinos was not on the ballot.
McPhee said yesterday he was "shocked' by the proposed legislation.
"I am hoping that the government of the day will not do anything to jeopardize itself in terms of the people's trust and in terms of it being true and faithful to Bahamians first," he said.
"Bahamians voted 'no' to web shops in The Bahamas. We certainly didn't vote 'yes' for foreigners to benefit from the same system.
"We are hoping we have not been hoodwinked and bamboozled because that is certainly not what we voted for, and certainly that is not what we are standing for.
"If you're going to ban web shop gambling in [The Bahamas], let it be from here, straight across to Paradise Island."
Under the new law, it would still be illegal for Bahamian citizens to gamble.
As reported by The Nassau Guardian yesterday, the bill would make legal "interactive gaming", which would permit gambling "through communications technology and accessed over the Internet".
It would also provide for "proxy gaming", which is defined as "the placement of a bet or wager on a gambling game by a player located within a permitted area, using any communications technology or device, including the Internet or intranet, wireless, wire or cable, radio, light, optics, microwave, smartphone or mobile device, or computer data network..."
Such a license would only be issued to the holder of a gaming license and only in respect of the casino resort managed by it.
The proposed legislation would allow hotel guests to gamble at pools or beachside on smartphone technology or hand-held tablets.
The accompanying regulations stipulate that a mobile communications device used for gambling must be designed or programmed such that it may only communicate with approved mobile gaming systems.
While local casino operators have long been pushing for updated gaming laws to allow them to be more competitive with other established gaming destinations, web shop owners see the proposed bill as discriminatory.
Attorney Wayne Munroe, who represents Percy Web Cafe, Island Luck, FML Group of Companies, Asue Draw, Whatfall and Chances said on Wednesday his clients are "disappointed".
McPhee insisted the government should not consider the new legislation, especially while attorneys are still making a case before the Court of Appeal on behalf of web shop owners.
"This whole struggle and fight that has gone on over the last several weeks seems to be very ironic," he said.
"This seems to be a set up. It seems as though Paradise Island can have benefits and the people in the ghetto can't have them, and that is not right."
McPhee said he plans to take a stance against the proposed legislation, which he called "inequality", and encouraged others to do so.
He also said the legislation would contribute to Bahamians becoming second-class citizens in their own country.
Another vocal religious leader in favor of regulating and taxing web shop businesses did not wish to comment directly on the proposed bill yesterday.
Bishop Simeon Hall, of New Covenant Baptist Church, said he has moved onto "more important issues".
Asked whether his position has changed since the referendum, Hall said it has not.
"The Bahamian people have spoken and I acquiesce to what the majority have said, and I don't care to fight it anymore," said the former Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) president, who spoke at Vote Yes rallies.
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, who has responsibility for gaming, was unavailable for comment as he was out of the country.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian