The Tribune

A pastoral letter to the Anglican family and the wider community on the subject of the proposed legalisation of the “numbers business” in the Bahamas

By REV LAISH BOYD, SR

Bishop of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos

Part Two: The Moral Argument

Clarity of definition

Gambling may be (a) gaming, that is, playing for money in a game of chance; (b) betting, staking money on an event of which the outcome is unknown and doubtful; (c) lotteries – playing for money in an artificially created game of chance; (d) pools, which combine (b) and (c). In all of these (a-d) the gains of the winners are made at the expense of losers. Also the gain is secured without rendering in service or in value an equivalent of the gains obtained.

Two Christian views on the morality of gambling

(1) Gambling is not wrong in itself, the danger lies in the excess. A comparison is sometimes made between the Biblical distinction between ‘drinking’ and “drunkenness.” Persons who support this view argue that a small stake in a raffle for a worthy cause inflicts no conceivable hardship on the purchaser of the ticket and is motivated generally more by a generous desire to help than by anticipatory greed.

They also argue that there are a number of cases where the element of amusement or harmless excitement is not dominated by greed. The principle involved here is that when gamblers firmly control their indulgence and are not dominated by it, they may obtain legitimate enjoyment. Upholders of this view recognise the potential for immoderate addiction and the development of a false sense of values, but they maintain that gambling may reveal, but does not cause, defects of character in the participants. They are fully convinced that gambling is not wrong in itself but the danger lies in the excess.

A majority of Christian moralists support this position. This is also the Anglican view.

(2) Persons who follow this line of reasoning attach considerable importance to the intention that accompanies the specific gaming event. They maintain that the intentions provide the motivation in the event. The person who buys a raffle ticket or a door prize ticket has the intention to support a worthy cause or to engage in an isolated activity. The person who plays the lotto or plays numbers habitually is usually lacking this motivation (ie, to support a worthy cause). That person is more focused on winning at all costs and is therefore prone to the development of a false sense of values.

A minority of moralists take a stricter view and hold that the term “gambling” in itself is a meaningless word. For them, every gamble is a particular and concrete action. They contend that in no circumstance is any gamble morally justified. The essence of their argument is that gambling is a breach of the Biblical law of love. They maintain that the command to love one’s neighbour rules out gain at the other’s inevitable loss, even if he or she is a willing partner. For such persons, the decisive consideration should not be the ability of the bettor to risk a loss, but the willingness to accept an undeserved gain. They also contend that the resort to gambling is a virtual denial of faith in God and an ordered universe, putting in its place an appeal to blind chance, prompted by neither love nor rectitude.

The positive aspects

Proponents of the legalisation of the numbers business see many advantages.

It will solve the dilemma of an out-of-control, illegal industry by that industry being “cleaned up” or regulated.

It will regularise something that no government has been able or willing to stamp out.

Legalising the numbers business and regulating it, will create a new source of income for the government via taxations of the proceeds – which now go completely untapped and untaxed.

Expanded legal gaming opportunities will result in the general expansion of industry and commerce in the Bahamas.

The above will lead to the creation of more jobs:

• Through the expected growth that will happen in the now legalised and regulated industry.

• Through the formation of the regulatory and supervising mechanisms that will accompany this new “division” in legalised gaming in the country.

• Through the growth of all ancillary areas of skill and employment which go along with this new sphere of gaming.

The negative aspects

The numbers business is a form of gambling that, by its very nature, engulfs those who are involved in it. Many persons who play numbers regularly become obsessed with finding the right number and wait anxiously to see which number will “fall”. It becomes a consuming force often dictating to every other area of that person’s life. Most Christian moralists agree that the real danger in gambling lies exactly in this kind of excess.

Persons who cannot afford to gamble are often the biggest users, abusers and losers.

It forms a false and unreliable foundation upon which to base one’s personal finances.

It encourages what seems to be a “short-cut” approach to financial security rather than honesty, budgeting, hard work and taking personal responsibility for one’s finances through the principles of Christian or other forms of stewardship.

It preys on those who cannot discipline themselves in these areas. Often there is a higher call on the funds used, ie, persons need to spend that money on more basic and important things – but do not.

It encourages avarice and greed, while being a disincentive to thrift, hard work and a good work ethic.

It goes against the principles of Christian stewardship. Life cannot be simply about chance where so many people lose and only a few win. This is what the numbers game typifies. We need to be promoting a culture and activities that are based on planning and productivity, purpose and positive advancement. Stewardship calls us to acknowledge what we have, and to build on it constructively and incrementally to accomplish higher goals.

In short, it promotes values that are harmful to the moral fibre of our communities. It would be a mistake to affirm this subculture by legalising it at a time when there are so many negative influences on the society, and when our community is suffering from a lack of values. Legalisation of the numbers of business is opening the floodgates to the further lowering of standards and values, some may say that this is a “non-issue.” I disagree because morals, standards and values are a part of the basic framework that one expects in a society. This framework undergirds so much of who we are, how we function and what is taken for granted about all that is good and positive in a society; without it, the society falls apart.

The government’s role

Some persons would argue that the government cannot and is not responsible for legislating or enforcing personal discipline or moral values. While this can be argued, we hasten to note that governments do have the moral, civic and constitutional responsibility to ensure the total well-being of all who live within a jurisdiction. That includes the value base. Governments are also charged with the responsibility of creating and safeguarding the environment where this well-being can flourish. Governments therefore have to make decisions that accrue to the well-being of the entire society.

Therefore, while some might argue that a government cannot and should not legislate morality or certain types of personal behaviour, a government has to make decisions for the moral, social, economic, and psychological good of all. This must be done for two reasons, namely:

• Leadership has the task of making tough decisions which are for the best for all concerned.

• Leadership has the task of pointing the way for those who are being led, whether those persons wish to be led or not, and whether they wish to accept the direction given or not.

In some instances, leadership is not guided by what the majority wants or what the majority is doing – but by what is best for all concerned.

While this deference to the decision of “the people” is valuable, we hasten to add that the majority is not always competent to make the best decision. Sometimes the masses need the vision of leadership, and a moral compass that can give direction to the group mentality.

The government’s dilemma

All of us must agree that the government of the Bahamas is in an extremely difficult position. The numbers business did not begin yesterday. It has had decades of evolution. It is entrenched in this society in so many ways. It will not be easy to eradicate. It is already against the law and very difficult to police.

This is a very difficult set of circumstances to navigate and to administrate. We sympathise. We offer our support and encouragement. We urge the government to continue to work hard for the betterment of this land and her people.

We must show love to our leaders and pray for them daily.

Role of the church

To provide members of the church and the general public with relevant information on the issues involved in gambling with special emphasis on the moral and social implications.

To teach and to admonish in a secular, democratic state while recognising that we do not live in a theocracy, a country in which the religious leaders are the government, or where the only laws that the state has are the laws of the prevailing religion.

To intentionally seek to develop a Christian conscience informed by Christian teaching, values and standards.

The referendum

The proposed referendum is:

• The fulfilment of a campaign promise

• The carrying out of an intention stated by the present and former governments

• An opportunity for the nation to comment on a significant current issue. The voice of the people is important, and to give occasion for that voice to be heard is also important.

The proposed referendum in the current time frame, presents a number of concerns. Persons are being asked to vote “yes” or “no” without having all of the facts and perspectives that make up the landscape.

Decisions about the nature of the referendum have been made based on the recommendations of consultants, namely, we should pursue the legalisation of the numbers business, and not pursue a lottery at this time because it is not viable in our setting (since the issuance of Bishop Boyd’s letter, Prime Minister Christie has added a national lottery to the referendum). The public needs to see the recommendations so that it can have the value of the expert findings and make up its own mind.

People are being asked to make a decision about web shops. Not all Bahamians patronise web shops or play numbers. We need to know what happens there, how “playing” online happens and how the roving agents work. We need to understand the law, how the present web shop activity violates the law and why the law is inadequate and therefore provides a loophole for present operators and players to slip through. We need to know the demographics of the patrons of web shops, what they spend daily, weekly, monthly and yearly and what their annual financial picture is. We need to know the net worth of the number business. It takes time to do all of these things and do them properly. (Note: Some data to the above effect should be in the hands of the public as a part of a general, pre-referendum information/education process.)

If the government’s statements can suggest a possible amount that could be earned by taxing the regulated numbers houses, then the government should share the information that it has which allows it to draw such conclusion.

If the industry is regulated, would it be open to new applicants or would it be limited the current establishments only, which would be regulated and taxed?

We need to have clear information about issues like this one, and all other issues that challenge the nation, because citizens would hate to make “half-baked” decisions that lead to even greater problems in the future. This point is so important because the implications of any decision to expand opportunities for legalised gambling are so tremendous and far-reaching in this country that it is almost too complicated to fathom.

I conclude this section as I began it: the proposed referendum, in the current time frame, presents a number of concerns. We ought not to rush unprepared into any decision making on this issue.

Dear Friends, I urge you to be aware of what is involved in the legalisation of the numbers business. Read about it, seek information about it, discuss it, think and pray about it.

May God bless our beloved Anglican Diocese, and may God bless our beloved Bahamaland.