Bahamas deputy supports national lottery

The Deputy from the FNM explained why the party supports a national lottery.

Bahamas.- Peter Turnquest, Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader, said that the issue of a national lottery was influenced by web shops. He said that there is no doubt in anybody’s mind that the issue of a national lottery was clouded and dominated by the issue of web shops and the numbers games.

“We have always taken the position that a national lottery, owned and operated and regulated by the state, is the way to go,’” said the Deputy Leader. Even though a majority of people voted against a national lottery in a gaming referendum, the previous government decided to regulate and tax web shops. Back then, the FNM voted against the bill, and a while later, the Minister of Tourism sad that the time for a national lottery has finally come.

The Prime Minister Perry Christie believes that a national lottery could help with the cost associated to natural disasters that rise to over US$600 million. Turnquest said that they want to implement the national lottery just as Florida-state operates it, where the residents are involved in the whole process of selling lottery cards.