Cabinet says casino goers have to pay in US
When the legislation to legalize casino gambling in Belize was passed late last year, it appeared that there were many questions left unanswered. Now almost two weeks after the first casino opened at the Princess Hotel, Cabinet is belatedly trying to provide some answers. In the briefing for this week’s meeting, we learn that Cabinet has decided that only hard currency, meaning US dollars, will be accepted for gambling. Cabinet Secretary Robert Leslie also says that while the Princess is currently using its own discretion to decide who can and cannot come in, in the future their membership roll will have to be decided in “mutual agreement with the Gaming Commission”. In other words, even if you get the U.S. cash, the Commission will have to approve your name before you can go in and play. Why these regulations were not installed before the casino opened is not clear, but the intention, according to the release, is that Belizean casinos should primarily serve the tourist market and quote “economically viable clientele”. What this seems to be saying is that it’s okay for rich Belizeans to gamble, but not poor ones. How this reflects on all those economically non-viable Belizeans who currently play the one armed bandits in numerous restaurants and bars is also not clear, but at the same time Cabinet is also attempting to crack down on these neighborhood gaming machines. The Cabinet briefing says the Ministers decided to control the proliferation of machines by restricting the licensing to certain locations. It is not known at this point where those “designated” areas will be, or if the informal, unlicensed casinos which already exist in Belize City and on the cayes will become the designated areas, or if the machine owners will have to relocate the machines when their licenses expire. The chairman of the Gaming Commission Cresencio Sosa, who is on leave until Monday, could not be reached for comment, nor could the management of the Princess Hotel and Casino. Most of the customers seen in the Princess since its opening have been Belizeans.
