An interesting piece of news came out of Wednesday’s continuation (see Thursday edition) of a plenary session of Parliament on the issuance of licences for casinos and other gambling activities. In response to questions from NA faction member Egbert Doran, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten (DP) announced that a request had been made to place slot machines at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).
This not the first time the idea comes up. When suggested years ago there was a considerable opposition, as people felt it would give the island’s main gateway a shady image and reputation.
Proponents back then argued that the gaming devices would be located inside the departure hall, so only actual passengers could access them. Nevertheless, nothing more was heard of the plans.
It was not revealed exactly who made this new application, the government-owned company itself or perhaps a third party vendor at the reconstructed terminal. The current petition came in after March 25, 2025, and had not yet been reviewed or processed.
This matter is likely to again spark some discussion. Locals also travel and there is growing concern about gambling addiction and its social consequences, while minors must certainly be excluded.
During Wednesday’s meeting the minister said the task of casino controllers to monitor resident attendance has not been enforced for decades due to impracticality of the manual registration system. The new gambling law being prepared will introduce a shift in regulatory philosophy by moving away from “moral policing” practices and emphasising “public awareness and education around the risks of gambling.”
That sounds quite modern, forward-thinking and ambitious, but the effectiveness of such an approach very much remains to be seen.
