By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamian web shop industry will likely fall into the hands of organised crime if established operators are forced to shut their businesses down, one of their attorneys telling Tribune Business: “I don’t think people understand how much trouble we are looking at”.
Wayne Munroe, who represents Island Game, Island Luck, FML, Asue Draw, Whatfall and Chances in their ongoing court battle with the Government, said the Bahamas could see a rise in organised crime, similar to the US experience during the alcohol prohibition era, if existing Bahamian operators were forced to shut down.
This, Mr Munroe implied, would drive the industry ‘underground’ or on to the Internet. There, unregulated and untouched by the authorities, it could fall prey to organised crime gangs and money laundering schemes.
“Does anyone really believe it’s going to stop?” the prominent attorney asked. “Gambling is like alcohol; you can prohibit it but you can’t stop it.
“If you look at the history of prohibition, before prohibition the liquor business was done by people of good standing. During prohibition it was run by organised crime, and there was an upsurge in violence connected with it. If people can’t buy their numbers from web shops, from the young girls behind the counter, they’re going to buy them from bookies on the street.
“The bookies, because they handle cash, will have to be armed. You’re likely to have turf wars and a massive upswing in violent crime. Today, if you win, say $5,000, you can feel safe collecting your money. How safe are you going to feel going to a bookie on the street? There will ultimately be conflicts,” said Mr Munroe.
Such concerns have already been expressed. Prime Minister Perry Christie himself said an unregulated web shop gaming industry could attract the unwanted scrutiny of the OECD and G-20 nations, due to the money laundering risk created by hundreds of unsupervised Internet accounts in a multi-million dollar industry. The US State Department’s annual anti-money laundering report, for example, has already identified the potential problems created by the status quo.
Mr Munroe added: “It’s a no brainer. If you say you have an industry making millions, someone is going to try and take advantage of it. If Bahamians like to gamble they will still gamble; you will not stop their habits. The only way you will stop them is if you get them, for a conscience reason, not to do it.
“I have no doubt the people who are going to move forward in this area are going to create a new way of business, and it will go right back to where it was, only not by decent young women behind the counters but by less savoury people.
“I don’t think people understand how much trouble we are looking at. If you outlaw liquor now, people aren’t going to stop drinking. Instead of it being sold by liquor companies and young girls behind the counter, it will be sold by the same people who sell drugs.”
Mr Munroe said he had received indications from his clients that they had seen a fall-off in business since the January opinion poll that voted against ‘taxing and regulating’ the web shop gaming industry.
“It has been the case that I have received those indications,” the attorney said. “When people said the pay outs fell, I suspected that had to do with a drop in business because of the uncertainty. They haven’t given me any percentage as to how much their business has decreased, but they all have indicated that they are experiencing some decrease in business because people are just uncertain and, while all this is going on, people are adopting a wait and see attitude.”
The Bahamian web shop industry has been thrown into limbo after the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Barnett, refused to grant operators an injunction that would prevent the Royal Bahamas Police Force from shutting down their operations or otherwise interfering with the sector.
That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal, and amid indications that the police are starting to investigate the web shop industry, patrons appear to be staying away for fear they may be caught up in a police raid and arrested.
Comments
SP 11 years, 6 months ago
After 40 years of political stupidity, failure and corruption it is high time for us to take our country back from twiddle dee and twiddle dum.
We should very seriously examine the Bermuda example as they had the same 40 year PLP & UBP corrupt stupidity.
Bermuda resolved the problem by forming a 3rd party "One Bermuda Alliance" (OBA) which won the government December 2012 and IMMEDIATELY made sweeping changes to the benefit of the majority, not just the usual chosen few friends, family and lovers.
See their platform and decide for yourself: http://www.oba.bm/index.php/our-plan
concernedcitizen 11 years, 6 months ago
whats he talkimg about ,the numbers man HQ and counting houses are armed to the teeth now ,,,i wanted it legal and taxed ,but the people said no ,, even though plenty that play thought they could trick God by voteing no ,,lol
John 11 years, 6 months ago
i don't think crime can become more organised than it is now regardless of the situation. If someone wants you dead in this country, they put a hit on you and once the hit is done, there is a 60% chance you will be caught. If you are caught there is a 90% chance that you will be out on bail in less than 3 years but only a 10% chance that your case will goto trial in 5 years. If and when your case goes to trial there is only a 5% chance that you will be convicted for one of the murders that happened in the year you did yours. Theives can break into your house and steal your jewelery and valuables. They can sell it off or pawn it at any of the many "CASH FOR GOLD (and stolen property)" stores around town. These stores will quickly melt your jewelery down or ship it off to some other market to be sold at its true value, even as heirlooms. Thieves raid and steal hundreds of thousand of dollars in copper tubing and refrigeration equipment in this country,New Providence espcially, Every year. They manage to melt down the copper and have it exported or sell off the refrigeration equipment and go to church the next Sundaywit shirt and tie on. How many are caught and convicted? Lets stat counting at zero. Steaing cars in this country is not a crime, it is a business! If you have a matter before the courts chances are slim to none that the matter will not be put off any number of times before the trial is completed. Magistrates who are paid to manage case loads and administer justice, are themselves putting matters off up to 8 and 9 times. One magistrate has put off cases more than 8 times on the simpleand single claim that 'the notes were not ready". What would this same magistrate do if they went to the treasury to collect their check and was told, seven or eight times, '"your check is not ready because there is no ink in the printer?'. Pen and paper came decades before printer and computer!
BillGates 11 years, 1 month ago
even printer inks can be used in crimes like corruption. Some will have stock for five to six years when you calculate the excess stock but http://www.inkjetsuperstore.com/">printer ink & toner can only last up to two years only!
BahamasGamingAssociation 10 years, 4 months ago
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bahamas-…
WHICH ON OF THE BELOW REIGNS SUPREME IN THE BAHAMAS?
The Bahamas Lottery and Gaming Act Chapter 387 Section 50 Persons prohibited from Gaming
Or
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Chapter III – Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedom of the Individual. Section 26 Protection from Discrimination on grounds of Race, Place of Origin etc.
The Bahamas Gaming Association stands by the Ideology that all human beings who are 18 years or older should be treated equally in all sectors of the Bahamian Economy which is enshrined in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
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