Bermuda Minister of Tourism Shawn Crockwell recently introduced in the House of Assembly the Casino Gaming Act, which would allow casinos to operate legally for the first time. The 118-page legislation spells out licensing requirements for casinos, including the provisions that only three casino licenses could be in force at any time; a casino license will remain in force for five years and cannot be transferred; and that any casino operating without a license can be fined up to ,000. The law also includes a provision for establishing a casino tax.
In addition, the legislation would establish a Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission that would regulate the industry and be made up of five members, including a chairman who would be required to be a barrister with more than five years’ experience. The commission also would have the power to bar any individual from casinos if there is “reasonable apprehension that the person may suffer harm, or may cause serious harm to family members because of problem gambling”.
The legislation also would ban ATM machines from casinos, restrict minors from entering a casino and allow fines of up to $10,000 or two years in jail for any person found with casino chips outside a casino.
