Although the government has said it was advised by gaming consultants that a national lottery would not be feasible in The Bahamas, former parliamentarian Philip Galanis said yesterday the government should again examine introducing a national lottery.
Galanis said as the government moves to regulate the web shop industry, a national lottery would be an alternative means for Bahamians to gamble and another revenue generator for the government.
"I think we should certainly explore the feasibility of a national lottery for various reasons," said Galanis, who was the coordinator of the 'Vote Yes' campaign ahead of the gambling referendum last year.
"There are some people who have no interest at all in gaming in the web shop operations.
"There are people who will be inclined to participate in a lottery because it is less innocuous, more readily available. You don't actually have to go in the web shops to participate and...it is something that provides more revenue to the government."
Galanis said the basis on which the gaming consultants made their determination about the feasibility of a national lottery should be fully explained.
"In the interest of transparency it would be good to know on what basis it was determined that a national lottery would not be feasible or viable in The Bahamas," he said.
"My instincts tell me that it is something that we really ought to explore and be fully apprised of, so at the end of the day when we finally determine what we will obtain, we would have gotten the full consideration of all possibilities."
Galanis said Malta is an example of a small country that has had a national lottery with some success.
The country has a population of just over 400,000.
"I don't think they are much bigger than we are...and it was feasible for them many, many years ago," said Galanis in an interview with The Nassau Guardian.
In the lead up to the January 2013 gambling referendum, Prime Minister Perry Christie said one of the concerns expressed about a national lottery is that the country does not have the population base to support one.
But Christie suggested this might not be an issue with millions of tourists coming to the country every year.
Galanis has expressed strong support for Bahamians having unlimited access to casinos and tourists having equal access to web shops.
He said visitors should also have access to a national lottery.
National lotteries have long been established in many major countries in the region such as Jamaica and Barbados.
Last January, voters were asked if they supported the regularization and taxation of web shops and the creation of a national lottery.
The majority of people who voted said no to both questions.
However, less than 50 percent of the electorate voted.
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe is expected to present a proposal for the regularization of web shops to Cabinet soon in an effort to regulate the sector by July 1.
The regulations and revised Gaming Bill are expected to be tabled in the House of Assembly.
However, it remains unclear when the government intends to begin debate on that bill.

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