By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

Gaming boss Sebas Bastian, the PLP’s Fort Charlotte candidate, said he does not oppose the Free National Movement’s proposal to introduce a national lottery – days after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis firmly rejected it.

Mr Bastian argued that a national lottery would essentially be an “eighth number” house run by the government, describing it as a compilation of numbers games. He said he supports the Free National Movement’s plan to divert gaming proceeds into education, sports, culture, and other sectors, but insisted those areas should already be prioritised.

“I am in 100 percent of support of the FNM’s plan to how we divert proceeds from gaming,” he said.

“So let's take this tax revenue and let's immediately, I don't know if we could add another page to our Blueprint for Progress at this time, but possibly we should just insert that. I think that's a great idea, because that's what it should be able to go to, and we can build so much more schools, invest in our healthcare, and invest in our sports.”

Mr Bastian’s position contrasts with that of his party leader, Mr Davis, who dismissed the proposal as a “gimmick”.

Mr Davis told reporters he questioned Opposition leader Michael Pintard’s motive for introducing a national lottery, arguing that the Dominican Republic had not been successful with its model. He also questioned whether Mr Pintard intended to use the lottery as a “slush fund” for “corrupters and fraudsters”.

When asked if he disagreed with the prime minister, Mr Bastian said: “I'm not getting into what the Prime Minister said or didn't say. I'm here to talk about what my views are. The prime minister can speak to his own views.”

Mr Bastian, the former chief executive officer of Island Luck, stepped down as CEO from the gaming company to enter frontline politics.

He expressed scepticism about whether anyone in the Free National Movement has the expertise to effectively implement and operate a national lottery.

Asked whether an international operator should be brought in to assist, he said using a foreign company would result in foreigners gaining a significant stake in an industry reserved for Bahamians.

He recalled that when the Free National Movement was last in office, it increased taxes on domestic gaming operators, while casinos, which operate under a different tax structure, were not subject to the same increases.

Mr Pintard has proposed a state-run national lottery as a new revenue stream to fund national development, overseen by an independent board. He said the funds would support education, sports, youth development, social intervention, and culture.

He added that the lottery could generate significant payouts and operate alongside existing private gaming operators, citing jurisdictions such as the Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Saint Martin, and Ghana as examples of similar models.

Mr Pintard also vigorously defended his proposed national lottery at a southern zone rally on Tuesday, arguing that gambling is already a reality in The Bahamas and that the government should harness those funds to directly benefit citizens.

He said he was offended that the tax increase was not applied across the board, noting that the Free National Movement increased taxes by 36 percent, raising government revenue from the sector to $50m annually.

Mr Bastian argued that instead of the government becoming a “number man”, it should allocate the $50m collected in gaming taxes toward education, sports, and youth development.