Government examined options to drop the gaming referendum eight months before it was discarded amid accusations of an Opposition boycott.

However, Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell told The Royal Gazette the suggestions, contained in an advisory document from April of last year, were simply part of his review of the issue.

Government had “no intention” of dropping the referendum at the time, Mr Crockwell added.

Putting casino gaming to the people’s ballot had been a platform promise by the One Bermuda Alliance in the run-up to the 2012 election.

The quandary of breaking that promise is noted by the “gambling brief” to Mr Crockwell, which concludes: “It is finally advised that the foregoing of a referendum on Gaming could have seismic ramifications and as such, the Advisor is unable to state whether it is possible to be both ‘accelerated’ on introducing Gaming while also removing a Platform pledge.”

The document, dated April 11, 2013, also says that Government would “need an extremely robust strategy” to assuage the anti-gambling contingent, along with “One Bermuda Alliance members/supporters who thought there would be a referendum”.

It further points out that the Opposition had campaigned on the holding of a referendum as a prerequisite to the introducing of gaming — adding that “the Government will be open to Opposition attacks concerning its adherence to Platform promises”.

The referendum was dropped on December 13, 2013, with Premier Craig Cannonier alleging the Progressive Labour Party had been determined to scupper it.

“It is clear to us that the Opposition’s political ambitions have moved ahead of the people’s business, and that the threat to disrupt the referendum or have a boycott is real,” Mr Cannonier said at the time — charges swiftly denied by the PLP.

The Opposition had strong objections to the wording of the proposed referendum question, which Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert maintained he would argue “until the cows come home” in the House of Assembly.

Mr Furbert called for a neutrally-worded question that didn’t refer to “creating new jobs for Bermudians and encouraging hotel development”.

However, the PLP denied threatening to derail the referendum.

The April 2013 document obtained by The Royal Gazette — entitled “Advice on the Pursuit of Legalised Gambling in Bermuda” — did not include a name for the consultant who wrote it, and the Ministry of Tourism and Transport declined to provide one.

Describing itself as “merely a Brief”, the paper proposes, among other initiatives, that Government hold a confidential meeting with the Opposition Leader to “ascertain his opinion on foregoing the referendum”.

It also warns that the Opposition would employ the pledge to hold a referendum as “a tool to attack the Government”.

Dropping the referendum would require Government to “give a voice to those whom [sic] oppose, in order to thwart the Opposition”, the document adds.

Questioned on the gambling brief, a Mr Crockwell yesterday responded: “Early in 2013, the Opposition Leader publicly stated that the Government should consider forgoing a referendum.”

This was a reference to PLP leader Marc Bean’s suggestion in the House that Government “bring it on”, and push ahead with gaming.

Mr Crockwell continued: “There were Ministers and Members of Parliament on both sides who also supported implementing gaming through Parliament rather than through a referendum. As the Minster responsible, I asked an internal advisor to prepare an opinion on the pros and cons of such an action and a report was delivered to my attention in April 2013.

“The Government, however, was committed to holding a referendum and we forged ahead on this path. The promised referendum has now been scrapped as we were concerned that the process would be usurped by elements that sought to put politics over people’s jobs.

“I can categorically state that when I asked for this opinion to be prepared the Government had no intention of forgoing the referendum. I felt this was a prudent course of action as we needed to have all options available to us should the need arise. Our focus continues to be growing the economy, rebuilding tourism and ensuring a conducive environment for job creation for Bermudians. We invite everyone who has ideas, questions and concerns to attend the town hall meetings planned and to visit the website and where they can give their comments.”