Bahamas casinos said to bring in millions with few problems

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham says casinos have earned the Caribbean islands tens of millions a year in taxes and fees without causing any social problems.

Ingraham says the casinos bring in an estimated $31 million a year in taxes and fees, employ 2,100 Bahamians, and attract more affluent clients to the islands.

"Despite the dire predictions of moral decay and criminal influence of casino gambling, casinos in the Bahamas have not been linked to crime," Ingraham said in a statement.

He originally made the speech in St. Lucia, where the government legalized gambling this year despite some concerns from religious and community groups that it could lead to crime and gambling addictions.

The Bahamas has had casino gambling since the 1960s, but it is only open to tourists.

St. Lucia's legislature in September passed the Gaming Control Act, clearing the way for a proposed casino in the 300-room Hyatt Regency Hotel that opened earlier this year. It, too, will be open only to tourists.

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Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

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