Fiji considers casinos for revenue generation

Commodore Bainimarama said casinos would attract more tourists to Fiji meaning that their tourist base and arrival sources could be augmented. He has directed that the office of the Prime Minister explore the idea further. This will take into account civil society concerns over the issue, including the fact that big-time gambling could be a source of addiction, leading to financial bankruptcy and irreplaceable loss of much needed family income.

"The opening of any casino would require strict legislation and it would be unfair discrimination to prevent locals from accessing the casino altogether or to place higher regulations on their participation than foreigners," according to the Citizen's Constitutional Forum chief executive Reverend Akuila Yabaki.

Yabaki said a regulation would need to be in place to ensure appropriate consideration was given to the impact on social welfare and culture, mismanagement of finances, gambling addictions and associate problems such as alcohol/drug abuse and depression. He said the location and/or number of casinos should be determined only after a comprehensive impact assessment report was done.

"It should be able to benefit the people of Fiji, including the local economy, and not just visiting tourists and overseas investors and measures need to be in place to address any adverse impact this development might have," he said. "Only one casino should be sufficient for a country like Fiji."