Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, February 1, 2024 – The passing of two new gaming bills has again raised longtime concerns about gambling in the Turks and Caicos.

In an effort to better regulate the Gaming industry, two new pieces of legislation, The Gaming Control Amendment and the Gaming Machine amendment bill were passed in the House of Assembly on January 23rd allowing gaming taxes to be calculated from adjusted gross receipts and mandating a 30 percent tax limit for gaming machines.

The laws also gave casinos a 15-day limit each month to pay said taxes. While members generally agreed that the new regulations were necessary, some concerns were raised about the social issues related to gambling.

Alvin Garland, Opposition Appointed Member, said it was not in the best interest of Turks and Caicos residents. Not only was he displeased that the government brought the Gaming Control and Gaming Machine Amendment Bills as the first matters after the new year, he said it could harm locals.

“We are beginning to see  there is an increase in addictive gamblers in the Turks and Caicos, and instead of us bringing legislation to encourage them, we should be bringing legislation or finding ways to discourage Turks and Caicos Islanders from gambling.”

Garland referenced The Bahamas, who he said had strict gambling laws for its people, and stressed that gambling could still be profitable, even if it was directed only as a pastime for tourists, which had been the initial purpose of the Turks and Caicos first casino.

Another concern for Garland was that the profit from the Casinos and Gaming halls would not be going to Turks and Caicos islanders anyway.

“Individuals that profit from gaming in the Turks and Caicos are not Turks and Caicos Islanders,” he continued “ The two casinos, most of the gaming houses, if not all, are owned by foreigners. They make their money by Turks and Caicos Islanders gambling. the only way gaming establishments can make money is if the people who are gambling lose their money.”

Garland again raised the issue of potential social impacts.

“It is not an indictment on this government, but it’s an indictment on any government, that we should be doing more to discourage Turks and Caicos Islanders from gambling and that is just the reality of it. We do not want to be promoting gambling for our people.”

In response to the comments, Washington Misick, TCI Premier, who was leading the debate, maintained that there were protections for residents in the 2018 iteration of the bill.

“The Commission shall set aside specific funding which shall be used for the purpose of a program to deal with problem gaming and addictions, and the money shall be used for treatment of problem gaming and substance abuse and related research,”  Misick quoted as a rebuttal to Garland’s concerns.

The Premier also quoted another provision which mandated that gambling houses submit an annual compulsive and problem gambling plan.

The protections in Section 23 as read by the Premier were more geared toward those already engaging in gambling rather than prevention.

Harold Charles, Governor’s Appointed Member, also chimed into the debate with similar concerns. Citing the government’s use of Singapore as an example used in the creation of the bill he said, “In Singapore, they do not allow their residents to gamble, the only people who gamble are high net worth individuals.”

The Premier had, during the debate, said that Singapore’s example showed that effective regulation can strike the necessary balance.

Charles stressed that some Turks and Caicos residents had already become trapped in the system.

“There was a young man who approached me to tell  me he was in trouble he couldn’t pay his rent because he was addicted to gambling—-this is something that has really been bothering me because I know that before we didn’t allow our locals to gamble and we changed that and I don’t believe that that’s a good thing.”

Hon Charles urged the government to consider restricting individuals below a certain net worth from gambling in their legislation, as a caution for residents.

“We have a moral responsibility to look after and protect our people,” he stressed.

“That is an argument that could potentially strike at the heart of democracy,” Misick responded to the calls for banning gambling for certain residents though he maintained that government intervention was necessary in some cases.

“The issue of Turks and Caicos Islanders gambling is one that can be discussed in the public arena, if that is the will of the people of these islands,” he said

The Premier reminded that the members across the floor were free to bring a bill to the house to discuss who was allowed to gamble, but firmly maintained that the purpose of the current bills were to do nothing more than provide regulatory control of the industry.