National Address on a Referendum to ascertain Bahamian support for the regulation and taxation of Web Shop Gaming and the establishment of a National Lottery   The Hon. Dr. Bernard J. Nottage, MP, Minister of National Security   2nd January 2013 (on ZNS television) My Fellow Bahamians, Good Evening; In its Charter for Governance the Progressive Liberal Party committed that within its first 100 days in government it would provide details for a referendum on a National Lottery and gambling in The Bahamas.

In keeping with that commitment, the Prime Minister in a communication to Parliament on the 8th of August, confirmed the intention of the government to proceed with a referendum on the issue of a National Lottery and or Web Cafes as soon as practicable following the North Abaco Bye Election. He indicated then that the referendum would seek to ascertain the will of the Bahamian electorate as to whether a National Lottery should be instituted and whether Web Shops should be regulated, licensed and taxed.

In a further communication to Parliament on November 1st 2012, the Prime Minister announced that a Referendum would be held on the 3rd of December 2012. At the time he noted that it would deal only with Web Shop Gaming. This was based on advice from the government's consultants that a National Lottery was not considered to be commercially viable at this time.

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