Bahamas Explores the Possibility of Online Gambling

In the tropical sun of the Caribbean, Bahama gains most of its income from the tourist trade. Yet there is one problem with this situation: hurricanes. With visitors staying away throughout the hurricane season, officials are contemplating a change. With American gambling laws so tight, could a Bahaman change entice US players?

With more than 700 islands making up the Commonwealth, Bahamas has proved a popular destination for US tourists. With Bimini – the Westernmost of those islands – sitting just 53 miles (81km) off the coast of Miami, tourists flock to the country to take in the tropical beaches, often sticking around for a casino visit instead of just visiting American internet casinos.

Yet with the hurricanes keeping tourists away, we could see the rise of online casinos in the Bahamas in the near future. Uri Clinton, a representative of Baha Mar Casino and Hotel expanded: “During the hurricane season, when nobody wants to travel to the Bahamas, we still have thousands of employees to support, we still have hundreds of local vendors and contractors to pay.” Clinton and her employers are pushing hard for a legislation change so those tourists can keep coming back, even if they’re not in the commonwealth itself.

By opening up online gambling, tourists could even play at local casinos while taking in the sun at the beach. Freeing up online gambling gives the potential for mobile casinos in the future, something that the Commonwealth of the Bahamas will be eager to push.

With so much at stake, the issue is due to be discussed, in depth, during September’s conference, entitled: “Shrinking the Global Divide: Synergy, Service and Sustainability.” Taking place at the Bahaman Atlantis Paradise Island Resort from the 18th-20th September, speakers – including Clinton – will be talking about the legalization of online gambling throughout the world as well as within the Bahamas.