Some of the island’s resorts may be adding casinos in the near future, with legislation allowing for casinos passed by Bermuda’s lawmakers in the House of Assembly in December 2014.
The bill — which must pass the Senate and be given assent by the island’s British appointed Governor before becoming law — seeks to allow three casinos in Bermuda, which will be a first, as up until this point, most forms of gambling have been illegal on the island.
Bermuda has long tended towards the more conservative side, and this comes more than a century after a group of American investors first proposed building casinos and a race track in Bermuda.
The 1912 plans — aimed at drawing a wealthy East Coast clientele to the island — were turned down by Governor Sir Walker Kitchener following a lengthy debate in the House of Assembly when the majority of the 36 Members of Colonial Parliament balked at the idea of turning Bermuda into a gamers’ paradise.
Over 100 years later, Bermuda’s lawmakers reacted differently than their predecessors did, with their decision paving the way for casinos to become an added amenity for travelers to Bermuda.
With the new law just coming into effect the details — who, what, were — are all unclear, but the Government has suggested the casinos are intended to be higher end models situated in luxury resorts that will be “unique and maintain our special Bermuda brand.”
