Why the government flip-flop?
An estimated 2,500 Bermudians have already signed a petition demanding that lawmakers hold a referendum on casino gaming in the British territory, reports the Bermuda Sun.
Opposition Leader Marc Bean said he supports “the citizens’ right to exercise their democratic right. I’m a proponent of gaming, but that doesn’t mean we have to run roughshod over people’s rights.”
The government of Bermuda, which had originally planned to hold a referendum at the end of 2013, says it opted for a legislative decision because the Opposition Progressive Labor Party threatened to undermine the voting.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, the government also said it would save $500,000 by cancelling the referendum and leaving the decision to the politicians.
“This was a difficult decision for the government, but in the circumstances we are confident it was the right one for Bermuda,” said Minister of Tourism Shawn Crockwell. He cited “recent polling” that suggests 70 percent of Bermudians favor the legalization of gaming in Bermuda “to assist in bringing jobs, increase tourism and generate revenue on the island.”
Bean scoffed at that pronouncement, saying, “If you are so confident—70 per cent in favor according to a poll—why did you have to stack the question and remove the referendum?”
Jonathan Starling, an activist who is working in support of the referendum, told the Sun, “As Shawn Crockwell stated earlier this month, ‘Democracy is never a waste of time’, so I am personally pleased that the Opposition leader has recognized this also and added his voice to the need for the government to return to its commitment to democracy, of deciding the issue of casino gambling by the promised referendum.”
Bean is a partner in Paradise Games, which allows betting on sport events, but he personally does not care to wager. “I just don’t like to play. From a business perspective, sure, if people want to play and win something, fine.”
Bean also does not buy into the argument that gaming contributes to gambling addiction.
“It’s not my right as an individual, never mind as a politician, to tell people what to do with their life. It’s not my right to control what they consume. Adults are rational beings.”
