Friday, January 26, 2007

Guyana's Parliament has approved limited casino gambling in some hotels that
are scheduled to open ahead of this year's cricket World Cup. The proposal,
which passed late Monday, prompted street marches last week by the political
opposition and religious groups who argue it will encourage vice and provide
new opportunities for organized crime. "We have been condemned but we
believe that history will absolve us," Interior Minister Clement Rohee said
of protests from opposition benches in Guyana's 65-member Parliament. The
ruling party said the bill, backed by President Bharrat Jagdeo, was
necessary to help hoteliers recoup investments made ahead of the World Cup.
As many as 100,000 visitors are expected in the region for the tournament,
which runs from March 13 to April 28, with matches in Guyana and eight other
Caribbean countries. The legislation provides for up to 30 gambling licenses
in the South American country. No hotels currently in Guyana would meet the
conditions for a license -- which include having a minimum 250 rooms -- but
two high-end hotels under construction in the capital of Georgetown near a
new cricket stadium would be eligible. Only foreigners would be permitted to
wager in the yet-to-be-built hotels. Deborah Backer, a lawmaker for the main
opposition People's National Congress, said the government had not offered
candid estimates of license costs and other information. "We oppose it on
religious and moral grounds," she said, adding that the country's "fragile
security sector" may not be able to deal with crime that could accompany
casino gambling rooms.