The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE South African consultants hired by the government to advise on the new casino regulations, web shops and a national lottery were yesterday in New Providence, confirmed Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Speaking to reporters outside the Cabinet Office Mr Christie said he had briefly met with two persons although he could not at the time give the name of the firm.  

The office of the Prime Minister later in the evening sent out a press statement giving more specifics about the officials.

“The office of the Prime Minister,” the statement said, “has confirmed that Mr Rossouw Lubbe and Ms Alicia Gibson, principals of A and G Consulting of South Africa visited Nassau from January 18 to 22 for consultation on the drafting of comprehensive legislation relating to lotteries and gaming.

“While in the Bahamas the consultants held discussions with the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Tourism, the Attorney General, the Minister of State for Legal Affairs, the Gaming Board, their senior officials and casino operators.”

According to Mr Christie, Dickson and Wilson, the Bahamas’ last consultants based in the UK who visited the country recommended A and G consulting. 

“We had been looking at this particular group who have tremendous experience in drafting legislation,  in the procedures involved in gaming, in internet gaming, as well as who represents clients and what kind of regime we would have to introduce here,” said Mr Christie. “So it’s from our point of view that they bring to the table the level of expertise that we would expect to have moving forward.”

When asked if he was able to say how much it would cost tax payers for their services, Mr Christie said he was not sure. However he said that the industry was likely to foot the bill if the referendum would go through.

“Whether it is ‘yes’ or whether it is ‘no’ there is a cost. If it is ‘yes” the way the casino industry runs in the Bahamas and the way the operations will run with lotteries and web shops is you make the industry pay the cost. So all of the consultancies – the industries will pay the cost.

“When Dickson and Wilson came out here the hotel industry wrote a cheque for $100,000 and said this is our contribution to it. So when you ask me how much it costs, I don’t know if it cost me anything,” Mr Christie said.