Fellow Anguillians, residents, and well-wishers of Anguilla, I address you today on an issue of national importance that has largely occupied public spaces, most notably in the media, in recent times.
Many of you have been embroiled in debates regarding the Government of Anguilla’s interest in the development of casino gaming in Anguilla. For some, the line of reasoning has been quite philosophical; others have taken slants based on religious convictions and societal factors, while some views have been trumpeted for very personal reasons. I have my views on casino gambling, but I address you today not as Cora Richardson-Hodge the individual, but as Leader of the Anguilla United Front party whose views on this highly controversial issue I share, and take pleasure in bringing to you the people.
These debates have been prompted by a gaming policy document which is currently undergoing the “consultation phase”. And I say consultation with much reservation because of the absence of true consultation with the people. This so-called consultative process has, in fact, done more to complicate matters and confuse the people to the point where we are left with more questions than answers. And I dare say that the process has, at best, presented this APM administration as one that cannot be trusted with the truth. Let us take a closer look at the FACTS.
In August 2019, the former administration, through the Ministry of Tourism, commissioned a scientific Gaming Market Assessment of the pros and cons of gaming. This Assessment was made up of five (5) parts:
(1) A Gaming Market Assessment which included six scenarios for casino gaming in Anguilla, all of which suggested at least one brick-and-mortar casino building;
(2) An Internet Gaming & Sports Wagering Study;
(3) Gaming Legislation, Tax Consideration and Recommendations Study
(4) An Economic Impact Assessment; and
(5) A Social Impact Evaluation.
It is this same assessment that the APM government has used as the basis for creating the current gaming policy that it claims to have brought to you the people for consultation.
My dear people, this administration would have you believe that they had no choice but to pick up from where the AUF administration left off and blindly implement what is on the books. Theirs is an attempt to fool you once again into believing that their hands are tied to the document; to make you think that the Assessment was written in stone. They would have you believe that the AUF administration would have pursued gaming full throttle without paying close attention to any negative impacts. And why would they take such a risk with insulting your intellect? Simply because it conveniently fulfills their political agenda.
But fellow Anguillians, while the Government appears to be satisfied with the manner in which the consultations have progressed, in reality, the general public has formed the view that the decision to approve the gaming bill has already been made and the consultations are just a mere rubber stamp.
The Anguilla United Front submits that this approach which the Honourable Premier – the Leader of Government business – has adopted, represents:
1. Firstly, the downright disregard for the mandate that you gave him to be a servant leader. It clearly tells us that the Honourable Premier does not respect or appreciate others’ views, including those of religious leaders who have come together in our small community to speak in one accord. Ironically, these are the same religious leaders whom the said government calls upon to pray for the nation on occasions such as the National Day of Prayer.
2. Secondly, the Honourable Premier’s statement underscores the dictatorial manner in which he has chosen to lead this country over the past three years. That is, to ignore the cries and the wishes of the people while making major and unalterable decisions that impact each and every one. This approach appears to be a pattern of this administration.
May I remind you of one clear example – the disrespectful manner in which the Goods and Services Tax (“the GST”) was passed against the wishes of the majority of elected representatives in the Anguilla House of Assembly! These circumstances raise the question as to the quality of political leadership that exists in this country.
My people, political leadership was historically embodied by people who based their power on not being equal to the rest of human beings. Kings, emperors and chiefs were characterized as beings who bordered on the divine or who were chosen by the deities. Over time, however, this style of leadership has been questioned and a more rational, democratic, people-oriented leadership has been sought after.
As leaders, we must always remember that we are not kings in our own right. We are elected by the people to act for and on behalf of the people. As such, the views of the people must be taken into account. To do otherwise would be to err, to misunderstand the privilege of being elected by the people.
Fellow Anguillians, we have been told of some of the benefits of the Government developing two stand-alone brick-and-mortar locations in Anguilla for gaming: (i) the expansion of Anguilla’s tourism sector; (ii) the creation of employment opportunities; and (iii) the generation of additional revenue for the country.
But what we have conveniently NOT heard from this APM government are the negative social impacts of gaming. It behooves me to inform you, then, that the Gaming Market Assessment outlined in the Social Impact study, which, by the way, comprises some 80 pages, highlighted the social impacts of casino and problem gambling. They include: suicide, bankruptcy, and family impact issues of child abuse/neglect, substance abuse, divorce, and the list goes on. It is this last aspect – the social impacts of gaming on our island community – which the Anguilla United Front Party is gravely concerned about.
Many of you may already know of my personal views in relation to casino gambling. Simply put, I am not in favour of it. And while this is my personal view, I am also aware that there are other members of the Anguilla United Front who share these views. Still, there are those who hold different views which we respect. For example, one contemplated concept of “high end gaming” consists of high net worth individuals traveling to Anguilla to engage in gaming at a specific exclusive locale, paying to the government an applicable tax rate, and returning to their home countries. Such a proposal which has been presented by well-meaning Anguillians in the past, is not only consistent with our existing high end tourism, but also limits the potential negative effects of the development of brick-and-mortar casinos in Anguilla. However, the one view that we have in common is the urgent need to prevent the negative social impacts of casino gaming.
Let me pause at this point to make brief reference to the presentation made by our former Party Leader and Premier, the Honourable Victor Franklyn Banks, who recently openly expressed his personal views and support for the gaming policy. I wish to go on record as Leader of the Party in stating that I fully supported Mr. Banks’ decision to publicly voice his views, as the APM Government’s policy paper on gaming made reference to the Innovation Group’s Assessment which was commissioned while he was Minister of Tourism and Finance and Leader of Government business at the time. And as I have stated in other forums, while the Anguilla United Front is made up of individuals with opinions on various matters, we express our views in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding; we examine the merits and demerits of any situation and in the end, arrive at a position that we believe is ultimately in the best interest of the people of Anguilla. That, my friends, is true democracy! And so, I wish to state for the records that Mr. Banks’ views are his views; we respect his right to his views, and he remains a strong and avid supporter of the Anguilla United Front!
Fellow Anguillians, the truth is, the Government of Anguilla is very much aware of the potential negative impacts of casinos in our community. If it did not, why would it prevent the establishment of brick-and-mortar casinos within close proximity of The Valley (Anguilla’s capital), and where schools and churches are located? Why would it seek to ensure that the license holder create a program to promote responsible gaming and prevent gaming abuse? Why would the Government require the license holder to train its employees to identify the symptoms of problem gaming behavior, and place a notice at every entrance of the premises informing the public of the compulsive or problem gaming behavior?
My dear people, it grieves my heart to know that many of you are, to this day, still searching for explanations as to the what and the how of this gaming business in Anguilla. Many of you are under the impression that every adult will be able to gamble freely as he or she is able to do in our neighbouring island. As I listen to the raging debates across our island, and as I try to provide answers to persons who frequently call on me for explanations, I recognize more and more that the APM Government has failed to clearly identify and express its vision for the gaming sector.
For example,
(i) The Government has failed to explain what is meant by “luxury gaming”. Does this mean that the registration and membership structure is extended only to the wealthy and the elite amongst us? Or is it merely limited to our tourists since the rationale is that luxury gaming will expand our tourism product and services?
(ii) What studies has the Government conducted to affirmatively show the increase in tourist arrivals for those persons who they believe will now come to Anguilla because there are brick-and-mortar casinos?
(iii) Why has the Government not released the 80-page social impact study presented by the Innovation Group that the AUF administration commissioned in 2019, in the same way that they pressed for the release of the Banking Report when they were in Opposition? And why is the Government not speaking openly with the public about the pros and cons of casino gaming as part of the consultations? Have they buried the transparency and accountability chant that bellowed through their “Change Can’t Wait” agenda?
(iv) On a matter such as this which proposes to impact Anguilla’s number one industry, our tourism product, why has the Government of Anguilla not been willing to conduct a poll or indeed a referendum to determine whether brick-and-mortar casino buildings represent the people’s will for this country? After all, is the Honourable Premier’s statement that for every one person who opposes gaming in Anguilla there are 10 people in favour, based on a scientific sampling of the population?
My people, it is clear that the Government of Anguilla has much more work to do before it can properly bring any gaming legislation to the Anguilla House of Assembly for passage into law. The Government must be open and transparent and the people must be fully informed.
We as a party do not discount the Government’s responsibility to generate revenue for our country’s development. Rather, we advocate for a more informed and democratic approach to truly addressing issues of national importance. We advocate for social protection from the ills of gambling. Our government is therefore called upon to change its practices and seek to develop the country in a manner that educates, uplifts, and ensures that its people achieve prosperity.
It is not enough to say that since we already have some forms of gambling, we might as well kill the whole hog. Such an approach is inconsistent with the concept of responsible, caring leadership – care for our people, care for our children, care for the generations to come. Let us challenge ourselves as leaders to think outside the box – to be more innovative, more creative, more honest in dealing with the people’s business.
God Bless You and God Bless Anguilla
