BREAKING NEWS: COA dismisses webshop application

NASSAU: The Court of Appeal has dismissed the application filed by attorneys representing web shops.  The attorneys for several web shops had filed the appeal to have the injunction the Chief Justice lifted last to be put back in place. That injunction had prevented police from shutting down the web shops.  

BREAKING NEWS: Cabinet tells webshops to SHUT DOWN.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Office tells webshop operators to shut down immediately.

Following is a copy of the Press Release:

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE

RIGHT HONOURABLE PERRY G. CHRISTIE, M.P.,

 PRIME MINISTER

ON REFERENDUM AND CONSEQUENTIAL

CLOSURE OF WEB-SHOPS

  

PRIME MINISTER RT. HON. PERRY CHRISTIE 

In keeping with my Government’s commitment to abide by the will of the electorate as expressed on Monday’s referendum, it has now become necessary to effect the closure of all web-shop gaming operations in The Bahamas.

        Accordingly, all offending web-shop owners and operators are placed on notice that all their gaming operations, including all online gaming and the numbers games, must cease with immediate effect.  Failure to do so will leave all such web shop owners, operators and web shop gaming patrons exposed to arrest and criminal prosecution without further notice or warning.

        While web shop owners and operators must cease and desist from gaming operations immediately, they are not required to close the door on their employees and those persons with whom they have lawful commercial relationships.  This includes relationships with landlords throughout the country, as well as relationships with utility and service companies, supplies of goods, and other third-party creditors.

        The Government expects that all web shop owners and operators will cooperate in giving effect to what I have just outlined so as to thereby eliminate the need for the relevant law enforcement authorities to take coercive action to compel the necessary result.