We have a concern, and it surrounds the issue of the question/s on the ballot in the upcoming gambling referendum.
We believe that if Prime Minister Christie and his government truly have “no horse in the race,” and they want to poll the Bahamian people honestly, then they should put two separate, clearly worded questions to the Bahamian people: one for or against the legalization of numbers gambling and the other for or against the introduction of a national lottery. We are troubled about the Prime Minister’s recent statements that he is considering whether one or two questions should be put to voters.
The fact is that legalizing numbers gambling and introducing a national lottery are two very separate issues; why then is the Prime Minister hinting at bundling the two issues into one question? Is the government seeking to put one bundled numbers gambling/national lottery question to voters in order to try to legalize numbers gambling through stealth, by piggy backing them on a national lottery proposal which they hope people will vote for? We pray this is not the case.
While we and countless others are opposed to both the legalization of numbers gambling and the introduction of a national lottery, we acknowledge that there are those who support one of these two forms of gambling and are against the other and those that may support both of these forms of gambling. Therefore, we believe that it is only fair for Prime Minister Christie and his government to put two separate, clearly worded questions to the Bahamian people. Bahamian voters are intelligent enough to answer two questions by voting “no” to both or “yes” to both, or “no” to one and “yes” to the other.
However, whether it is one or two questions, we call on Bahamians everywhere to vote “no” to both the legalization of numbers gambling and the introduction of a national lottery and help to save our Bahamas from any further expansion of the ruinous and selfish activity of gambling.
Bahamas Christian Council
Save Our Bahamas Campaign Committee
