If Prime Minister Bruce Golding has his way, casino legislation will be brought before Jamaica’s House of Parliament for debate within just a matter of weeks.
“Just two days ago (November 5), I signed off with the technical team that we had working on the policy issues that had to be resolved in order to facilitate the introduction of legislation for casino gaming,” Golding said recently.
“My instructions to them are that they must get the bills actually completed so that we can get that legislation into Parliament before the end of November.”
Two licenses to build casinos have already been issued – one to the Tavistock Group that is developing the US$5-billion (J$380-billion) ultra-luxury Harmony Cove resort in Trelawny, and the other to Celebration Jamaica Limited, which is to construct a US$1.8-billion (J$135-billion) 2,080-room resort in neighbouring Rose Hall, St James.
Golding provided the casino update at the signing of the contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Limited, the Port Authority of Jamaica’s partner in the development of a cruise ship port in Falmouth, Trelawny. The port is expected to be completed before May 2010, and the world’s largest cruise megaliner – The Oasis of the Seas – which is owned by Royal Caribbean, is expected to call.
