Hotels with casinos will be the next step after Cabinet moved to allow gambling on cruise ships, lawyer Llewellyn Peniston said last night.

Mr. Peniston — who has long called for the legalisation of gambling — said Government was dipping its toes in the water to see whether there would be public support for a wider relaxation of its gambling laws.

Last Friday, Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown announced Cabinet had approved a proposal to let cruise ships open casinos after 10 p.m. while in port.

Such a move would require an amendment to Bermuda's strict gambling legislation which for years has prohibited many forms of gambling on moral grounds, according to Mr. Peniston.

The lawyer, who has represented the controversial floating casino the Niobe Corinthian, said last night: "The law has provided for some time that cruise ships while in port can't operate their machines. That's been a policy for years. Now this amendment will cause this provision to evaporate.

"I can't say in all honesty that I'm upset at it. We have from a social standpoint lived for the longest while in the dark ages.

"One ought not to be under the false impression that this slight opening of the door is the end of it.

"I think that one can look forward to hotels seeking to put their feet a little further in the door. This will begin the process of enabling hotels to move forward with casinos.

"It's just an exercise of dipping one's toes in the water to gauge the temperature, and I'm not upset at it. I just hope the Government stands at the door with cupped hands and makes sure they get some tax revenue out of it."

Mr. Peniston says he is not a gambler himself, but does not want to impose his own standards on others.

Church groups including the AME Church have campaigned vigorously against the legalisation of gambling. Yesterday, one AME pastor told The Royal Gazette the church's stance had not changed. He directed us to the church's press officer, who did not respond to our requests for a comment.

Politicians including former Premier Alex Scott also oppose gambling and may take some persuading to pass any new legislation in the House of Assembly.

Announcing the move last week, Dr. Brown said there would also be a waiving of the $14 cabin tax for Hamilton and St. George's for three years.

He said in return cruise lines would be required to participate in on-Island activities deemed important by Government.

Illustrating his point, the Premier said Norwegian Cruise Line had committed to pay $150,000 a year to the Bermuda Music Festival and provide entertainers for Harbour Nights in Hamilton, produce an on-Island dining brochure distributed to all its cruise guests, and donate a total of $275,000 to the Bermuda Heritage Museum and St. George's Foundation.

It has now emerged that it was announced last November that NCL would be making these contributions as part of its ten-year contract to operate in Bermuda.

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