Jackpot

Western Jamaica tourism interests hope for big casino payday

Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:Casino lobbyists in western Jamaica have welcomed last week's passage of the casino gaming regulation, which is being regarded as a major lifeline for business interests hoping to cash in on the expected financial boon.

"This is a move in the right direction for Jamaica, especially Montego Bay," said Davon Crump, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "When our tour operators pick up the tourists that come through our ports, they are forced to take them to attractions out of the parish because we are lacking in attractions."

The casino gaming regulation, which was passed by the Senate, comes two years after legislators settled on the Casino Gaming Act, paving the way for the introduction of casino gaming in Jamaica.

The city of Montego Bay, the island's premier tourism destination, has been identified as a possible location for the nation's first three casino facilities.

OPENING UP POSSIBILITIES

"This (casino gaming) will create opportunities for new and existing hotels to attract more of the visitors who would normally go to The Bahamas or other countries that offer casino gaming as one of the attractions in their resorts," said Crump.

When Jamaica's Tourism Master Plan was first introduced in 2003, it was widely seen as the gateway to the introduction of casino gaming as part of its mandate was to seek new ways to diversify the nation's tourism.

The announcement saw entities such as Celebration Jamaica, which proposed to spend US$1.8 billion to develop a 65-acre ocean-front property in Montego Bay, featuring 2,000 rooms; the Harmony Cove Development in Trelawny, which broke ground for a US$2-billion project with 4,000-5,000 rooms; and Grand Palladium in Lucea, which was proposing an additional 805 suites at a cost of US$250 million - all positioning themselves to cash in.

"Casino will not be a panacea, but it will be a major attraction," said businessman Godfrey Dyer, one of the pioneers of the local casino debate. "Casino is an attractive thing … . It will greatly benefit our tourism, and I am sure some of the spin-off revenue will filter into many communities."

SUPPORT FROM TULLOCH

While the Church remains resolute that casino gaming is morally wrong, last week, Catholic deacon Francis Tulloch, who is also a former politician, conceded that faced with trying economic times, Montego Bay could benefit from casino gaming.

"We have proper beaches and very good adventure tours. The only thing that is lacking is casino gaming," Tulloch said. "Coming from me, this might be a surprise, but what I am sure about is that this will give us a competitive edge and make us more competitive with other destinations."