The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) is not yet ready to endorse the introduction of casino gambling, and has denied claims that while it formed the government it promised a potential investor permission to operate a casino.

PNP spokesman on tourism, Dr Wykeham McNeill, tells The Sunday Gleaner that the party is awaiting word from the Government before arriving at a position.

"We have seen where the discussions were introduced. I have heard pronouncements from the minister of tourism, but in terms of a firm indication, we, as Opposition, have not been so informed," McNeill discloses.

He says the last word he received was that the Government was in favour of casino gambling and that it was going to have a series of meetings with churches and communities to discuss its introduction. "We were sort of awaiting those discussions," McNeill adds.

"You have a new government in place which has proposed a new policy. I think that it is only fair for us to see what it is that they propose before we comment on it.

"When we were in government, we had to take the lead and say what we proposed to do. Now we have to hear what it is they want to put on the table, then we can respond to that," the PNP spokesman says.

Denied claims

The PNP has denied claims that it gave a commitment to a group of overseas investors to grant it a casino licence. PNP spokesman on finance, Dr Omar Davies, who was the minister in charge of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, tells The Sunday Gleaner no such commitment was given.

Davies says he was approached by a potential investor who indicated that if the administration ever decided to allow the introduction of casinos, he wanted to be considered.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com