The gaming industry, particularly casinos, has incurred the fury of the clergy and those who feel that it will be yet another blot on Jamaica's moral landscape. The Minister of Tourism, Ed Bartlett, has met opposition to his suggestion to add a gaming component to his grand plan for tourism in Jamaica.
Marks says there already exists an almost inevitability about casino gambling in Jamaica with forms of it already in place in many hotels and gaming lounges. Supreme Ventures' Acropolis readily comes to mind.
Addressing the issue she said: "It surely is not beyond us as a people to put infrastructure in place which would minimise the deleterious effects of casino gambling, while maximising its benefits. One suggestion would be to specify a minimum investment to have this facility, as part of the major developments in our tourism attractions. The revenue derived there could be another way to finance the education transformation that is needed, and for which both Government and Opposition agrees that the financial resources do not exist to tackle at present."
Many other countries in the region have embraced casino gaming and have used it to bolster their economies.
"Last week we saw where the Bahamas has just garnered another massive investment from top hospitality developer Harrah's and Starwood to the tune of US$2.6 billion and the last time I checked people were still having a good, safe standard of living," in the Bahamas. What are we afraid of?" said Marks.
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