By NICO SCAVELLA

BAHAMAS Christian Council President Rev Dr Ranford Patterson yesterday warned the Christie administration that a “greater proliferation” of gamblers would emerge in the country when the government enacts the Gaming Bill adding that the Department of Social Services would be further “stretched” as a result.

His comments came on the same day that two other pastors criticised “ungracious” comments directed at them by Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis over webshop gaming, and asked the nation’s leaders why they are not condemning “lawless numbers bosses”.

In a joint statement, Pastors Lyall Bethel and Cedric Moss also called on Mr Christie and Mr Davis to reveal if they or the Progressive Liberal Party have received any “financial donations or other benefit” from any gambling web shops or their owners.

The statements are the latest in a war of words between several pastors and the government over its decision to ignore the gambling referendum in favour of regulating web shops.

Rev Patterson made his comments at a press conference at Cousin McPhee Church.

He called for Bahamians currently participating in gambling to take web shop cards “out of their pockets and destroy them” because “if they would stop gambling the numbers houses wouldn’t survive.”

“I believe when this (legislation) is passed more Bahamians will see the need to go and gamble,” he said. “There’ll be a greater proliferation of gamblers in this country. I don’t care what no one else says. And as a result of that, we’ll have a greater number of persons seeking assistance of Social Services, which means Social Services is now going to be stretched even more. There will be a domino effect.

He added: “Today I am saying to all Bahamians to join me in taking those cards out of your pockets and cutting them up because they will affect you and your family going forward. I challenge you, tear those cards up in Jesus’ name.”

Meanwhile, Mr Bethel and Mr Moss again called on the government to honour the results of last year’s gambling poll while urging the country’s leaders to reveal any links to web shop bosses.

“We call upon the prime minister and the deputy prime minister to go on record, as we have, and tell the Bahamian people whether or not they personally and/or the Progressive Liberal Party have received any financial donations or other benefit from any of these gambling web shops or the people who run them.

“Further, we again call on the prime minister to explain to the Bahamian people why with the majority ‘no’ vote in one hand and the warnings of the governor of the Central Bank in the other hand he chose to legalise web shops instead of shutting them down as he initially promised he would do.”

The statement added: “It is perplexing that the prime minister and his deputy would seek to belittle and condemn ministers of the gospel instead of condemning the lawless numbers bosses and their illegal gambling activity that continues to financially rape the poor and suck the economic life blood from legitimate businesses in our communities.”

The religious leaders are upset because the government has ignored the results of the 2013 gambling referendum, which cost tax payers $1.2 million, and instead moved to regulate the web shop sector.

As the Gaming Bill was being tabled on September 3 in the House of Assembly, members of the BCC wore black to mourn the “death of democracy” in the country.

Last week Prime Minister Perry Christie responded to the criticisms and said he did not see web shop regulation as a “sinful action” and stressed that regulating the industry is the right thing to do. Later that day, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis accused the Christian Council of “turning a blind eye” to web shop operations over the years so that the underground sector could flourish.

Yesterday, Rev Patterson said the church will be there to help those people who are negatively impacted by gambling.

“I can tell you this much – the church will remain there to support those who fall through the cracks. That’s our job, we’ve always done it, and we’ll continue to do it.

“We have many examples in the Bible of people and nations who go against the voice of God. The people had their day at the polls, the government had its day in Parliament, but God will have the final say. You expect no further information from me on this, we wait to see what God will do in this matter.”

The Gaming Bill was passed in the House of Assembly last night and now moves on for debate in the Senate.