Bahamas Faith Ministries (BFM) President Dr. Myles Munroe said yesterday the government is being hasty with the proposed gambling referendum and that not enough information has been given to the public on the pitfalls of legalizing gaming for Bahamians.
“We are rushing this,” Munroe told The Nassau Guardian after he gave a motivational speech to SkyBahamas workers at the company’s Blake Road headquarters.
“Even though this has been a problem for a long time, it’s not been a long time for us to contemplate what we should do with it.
“I believe that it’s unfair to ask people to make a decision with very little information. There is no research done, no research presented to us with regards to the long-term impact of this kind of decision.
“I think we deserve the right to have some formal investigation, research done as to the impact of this kind of activity in the community and I’m sure there is a lot of examples out there and no one is providing [them] to us.”
He said the country should avoid making a rushed decision to legalize gambling for its citizens only to look back later on and realize it was a mistake.
Munroe also said some nations with legal gambling are questioning the policy and its impact on citizens.
“When I went to Australia, I spoke with one of the members of Parliament and they are reversing the decision on the national lottery because they said the negative impact is just too great,” he said.
“So other countries are rethinking it and here we are going forward with it.”
Munroe suggested the government slow down on its referendum plans and present data on the social, economic, and psychological impact of gambling first.
“Get that information first and give us a chance to weigh whether we want it,” he said.
“Decisions are very easy to make, but have you studied the consequences? It’s like taking your first drink; do you want to become an alcoholic?
“Taking your first smoke; do you want lung cancer? Are we willing to accept the consequences? Once you are willing to accept the consequences, then you can make a decision.
“I don’t think we are contemplating the consequences well enough, so I don’t think we are qualified to make a decision at this time.”
Other religious leaders have voiced concerns about the planned referendum. The Bahamas Christian Council has planned an anti-gambling campaign.
The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) committed to a referendum on gambling ahead of the May 2012 general election.
The government engaged consultants from the United Kingdom to advise on how best to legalize number houses or a national lottery, should the referendum pass.
Earlier this month, Christie said he was still optimistic that the referendum would take place before the end of this year. A date for the controversial vote has not been announced yet.
By Taneka Thompson
Guardian Senior Reporter
