History - Gaming Board for The Bahamas
Gaming Board for The Bahamas - History
The Gaming Board for The Bahamas ("the Board") was established in August 1969 under the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 1969. The Board's establishment is grounded in Section 32(1) of that Act, which mandated that a Gaming Board for The Bahamas be created, with duties under Section 32(3) to keep under review the extent, character, and location of licensed gaming facilities and to perform such other functions as assigned under the Act.
Amendment No. 3 of 1978 granted the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas the rights to own all casino licenses and allowed hotel-casino operators to manage casinos. While this amendment introduced additional procedures and requirements, there remained a need for The Bahamas to align with international best practices through more stringent qualification requirements for participation in gaming and related activities.
Protecting the integrity of the gaming industry and ensuring fair play for all. Mission of the Gaming Board of The Bahamas
In November 2014, the Board underwent a major transformation when the Government enacted a sweeping new suite of legislation to govern gaming operations in The Bahamas: the Gaming Act 2014, the Gaming Regulations 2014, the Gaming House Operator Regulations 2014, the Gaming Rules 2015, and the Financial Transactions Reporting (Gaming) Regulations 2014. Section 3 of the Gaming Act, 2014 provided for the continuation of the Gaming Board as originally established under the 1969 Act.
This new legislative framework modernized the gaming regulatory regime in The Bahamas, brought an otherwise unregulated domestic gaming sector under proper oversight, expanded the range of gaming services and products available, and established a stronger, more robust licensing regime. These changes helped elevate The Bahamas to one of the world’s leading gaming jurisdictions.
Ministers Responsible for Gaming
- The Hon. Arthur D. Hanna, M.P. — 1969 – 1984
- The Hon. A. Loftus Roker, M.P. — 1984 – 1987
- The Hon. Sir Clement T. Maynard, M.P. — 1987 – 1990
- The Rt. Hon. Sir Lynden O. Pindling, M.P. — 1990 – Aug 1992
- Senator The Hon. Brent Symonette — 1992 – 1994
- The Hon. Frank Watson, M.P. — 1994 – 1996
- The Hon. C. A. Smith, M.P. — 1996 – 1996
- The Hon. Frank Watson, M.P. — 1996 – 2001
- The Hon. Anthony Rolle, M.P. (Min. of State) — 1997 – 2001
- The Hon. O.A.T. Turnquest, M.P. — 2001 – May 2002
- The Hon. O. H. Wilchcombe, M.P. — May 2002 – 2007
- The Hon. Neko Grant, M.P. — May 2007 – Jul 2008
- The Hon. Branville McCartney (Min. of State) — May 2007 – Jul 2008
- The Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace — Aug 2008 – May 2012
- The Hon. O. H. Wilchcombe, M.P. — May 2012 – May 2017
- The Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar, M.P. — May 2017 – Sept 2021
- The Hon. I. Chester Cooper, M.P. — Sept 2021 – May 2026
- The Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin, M.P. — May 2026 – Present
Chairmen to the Gaming Board
- Mr. A. Loftus Roker, M.P. — 1969 – 1970
- Mr. Arlington Butler, M.P. — 1971 – 1976
- Mr. Perry Christie, M.P. — 1977 – 1984
- Mr. Milo B. Butler Jr., M.P. — 1984 – 1991
- Mr. Bradley B. Roberts, M.P. — Jan 1992 – Aug 1992
- Mr. Elliott B. Lockhart — 1992 – 1994
- Mrs. Claire Hepburn — 1995 – Jun 2002
- Mr. Kenyatta Gibson, M.P. — Jul 2002 – Oct 2006
- Mr. Malcolm Adderley, M.P. — Nov 2006 – Jun 30, 2010
- Mr. Kenyatta Gibson, M.P. — Jul 1, 2010 – Jun 30, 2012
- The Hon. Andre Rollins, M.P. — Jul 1, 2012 – Aug 2014
- Ms. Terah Rahming — Sept 2014 – May 2017
- Mr. Kenyatta Gibson — May 2017 – Sept 2021
- Dr. Daniel Johnson — 2021 – Jun 2026
- Mr. Philip McKenzie — Jul 2026 – Present
Secretaries to the Gaming Board
- G. G. Bentley — 1969 – 1972
- Donald Tynes — 1973 – 1979
- Terevas A. Albury — 1980 – Feb 1987
- Basil Albury — Dec 1987 – Jan 1995
- Alonzo Butler — Feb 1995 – 2003
- Bernard K. Bonamy — 2004 – Nov 2009
- Dennis Martin — 2010 – 2012
- Verdant R. Scott — Jan 2013 – Aug 2017
- Bridgette Outten (Acting) — Aug 2017 – Feb 2018
- Ian Tynes — Feb 2018 – Apr 2025
- Terah L. Rahming — May 2025 – Present
