The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

WEB SHOP workers fear for their jobs if the numbers racket is made legal.

They believe web shop chiefs may consider laying off some of the industry’s estimated 3,000 employees to replace them with automatic lottery machines which would cut down on operating costs.

There are 144 web shops. Bosses may consider layoffs based on how heavily they could be taxed if playing numbers is made legal, workers claim.

Island Luck CEO Sebas Bastian, who has already said he wants to keep workers, refuted the claims.

The workers’ claims come just days before the gaming referendum on Monday, when Bahamians will be asked to say yes or no to regulating and taxing web shop gaming and yes or no to establishing a national lottery.

Mr Bastian said he was certain more job opportunities would be made available to remedy the country’s unemployment rate.

“No layoffs whatsoever are planned,” Mr Bastian told the Big T.

“As it relates to the economic side of this industry, more employment opportunities will be available as the market expands and more benefits are offered to employees.

“Employees will have first option at the share offering in the planned IPO.”

He encouraged the electorate to ‘understand’ the impact of a regularised gaming industry for the Bahamas’ economy.

He said the government would, in the future, find it increasingly difficult to depend on tourism and banking to keep the country afloat.

Mr Bastian said web shop owners had made no plans to reduce winnings in the event of a majority yes vote despite wide reports they had planned to do so.

“The industry’s operators will remain committed to providing its patrons with the best possible odds,” he said.

Democratic National Alliance party leader and attorney Branville McCartney believes the referendum process is ‘illegal’.

He said yesterday he would vote against the legalisation of playing numbers.

“I have stated, and I would again emphasise, that the process that the Bahamian people are being asked to participate in on January 28 is not legal, is flawed and consequently the result will not be binding.

“On January 29, web shop gaming will still be illegal and there will still be no laws in the Bahamas governing a national lottery.”

He claimed the government’s handling of the procedure had been ‘lacking, irresponsible and deceptive to the Bahamian people.’ According to Mr McCartney, the country is now perceived internationally as ‘inept.’