Richard Schuetz, executive director for the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission, said last week he was puzzled by reports that a gaming operator who had considered investing in Bermuda was discouraged by some local elected officials.
The man “shied away,” when local politicians discouraged him from investing. The man would have built a development that would have employed hundreds of workers.
Schuetz said he didn’t understand this attitude. “They are saying we shouldn’t be talking to operators, but these statements are coming from people who have never worked in the industry, never regulated the industry and are very unfamiliar with it,” he said.
He added, “Our goal is to create jobs here, and if folks want to help us that’s great, but to continue to make statements that don’t make a lot of sense to those in the world of business and regulation is unfortunate.” He said the unnamed investor is still interested in investing, but that the situation was “fluid.”
Asked about the identity of the operator, he declined to name them saying the situation remained “fluid”.
The commission is actively seeking amendments to the island’s gaming laws. But that process was disrupted when a lawmaker was ready to present the amendments to the Bermuda House.
