May 05/2003 - Casino-type gaming will be introduced to Dominica next week when Reigate Hotels launches its gaming rooms at Reigate Mountain Top and Reigate-by-the-Sea on May 10th, the Sun has been advised.

    "The Reigate Hotels bring (Las) Vegas-style gaming coupled with local entertainment to Dominica's night life," boasted the Reigate Hotels in a brochure printed ahead of the launch, a copy of which was obtained by the Sun.

    "Discover bell ringing excitement of our Pot'o'Gold video machines with a full menu of your favourite games," it stated.

    There will be no roulette or big six tables or the dozens of other interesting ways to lose the shirt off your back as found at casinos across the Caribbean.

    However, there will be plenty of other video games for adults, including blackjack, joker poker and deuces wild.

    "We are just doing a different piece for tourism that was required in Dominica…we are using the machines mostly for the cruise ship (visitors)," Reginald Shillingford, owner of Reigate Hotels told The Sun. "I think it will help tourism."

    Reigate will operate the gaming machines -- 13 at Reigate Mountain Top and 40 at Reigate-by-the-Sea - under a two year trial licence issued by the government through the Dominica Lotteries Commission.

    "We received an application from Reigate about a year or 18 months ago. We passed it on to the lotteries commission which under the law is responsible for gaming. They recommend that a license be issued on a trial basis (and) we have issued a licence on a trial basis for two years in the first instance," Charles Savarin, the industry minister told the Sun.

    Both Savarin and Shillingford denied that introduction of the gaming machines meant that casino gambling had arrived in Dominica, despite the fact that gaming and casino gambling are used interchangeably.

    "I don't think it is casino gambling. My concept of a casino is (that it is) a major activity as part of a major hotel," stated the industry minister, who also has responsibility for tourism.

    "I think basically this is more for light entertainment. When you think of casinos you think of people throwing cards and playing roulette. This is more like a bingo game or playing the lottery," Shillingford responded when asked if it meant that casino gambling had finally arrived. "This is not a concept of people putting money and losing. People don't lose. Most people do win. It all depends on the cycle of the machine and how you play the machine."

    Casinos have found a home in many Caribbean countries that seek to maximise the financial benefits of tourism.

    In the Bahamas, for example, gaming is big business with places like Crystal Palace, the Princess Casino and Atlantis, Paradise Island having almost a thousand slot machines and a dizzying number of blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette, stud poker, and big six tables.

    At the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island alone, over 800 slots pay out about $35,000 an hour.

    Savarin said that if a request were to go before the government for a major casino, the government would consider it on its merit.

    In the meantime, he said, government would use the "experiment" with Reigate Hotels to determine how to develop and fine-tune its policy on casino gambling.

    Shillingford refused to give details of the licence agreement -- except to state that there were restrictions on alcoholic beverages in the gaming rooms and that no one under the age of 18 would be allowed into the rooms - and he would not reveal details of the "quite substantial" fees that he was required to pay to the government.

    However, he admitted it was "miles above" the US$10.00 per machine per month that the government of Antigua charges as a basic fee. He added that he was also required to make a contribution to the lotteries commission for sports development.

    The introduction of the gaming machines, at a cost of approximately US$750,000.00, was part of a proposal presented to the government that would see the reopening of the hotel, which has been closed for about two years.

    Shillingford said that already eight people have been employed and by the time the hotel reopens next week and gaming is launched, about 25 people will find employment there.

    While it was too early to speak of the economic impact of the project, he was sure it would make a major difference to the employees and their families.