A date has been set in the Bahamas as their government has recently announced that they will be holding a nationwide referendum to discuss with the public if it will do the country good to establish a national lottery and legalize regulated and taxed Internet cafes.
This pledge is a result of the election of the Progressive Liberal Party to national power in mid-May of this year. The party has made the plebiscite become one of the cornerstones of their Charter for Government agenda, which they promised to accomplish on the first 100 days of their service.
But the referendum will not be extending to any forms of gambling in the country such as whether residents will be permitted to engage in casino gaming. The country's new Prime Minister Perry Christie stated that his government will maintain a position of complete neutrality on the issue.
He formally said in a statement, that it is his Government's intention to proceed with the referendum on the issue of creating a national lottery and web cafes when it's practical “following the anticipated by-election in North Abaco later this year.”
Christie said, “ We will not campaign for, nor will we encourage the adoption of, either a yes or no position on any of the referendum issues.”
He also revealed that voting will happen at least 30 days from the start of the referendum to allow the public to debate on the issues. His government is also set to take “appropriate announcements on the way forward” after the results are known in full.
