Premier Ewart Brown suffered a crushing blow yesterday as his cruise ship gaming bill failed with seven Progressive Labour Party MPs voting against it.

Dr. Brown shocked the House of Assembly by attempting to push the legislation through without rebel or Opposition MPs knowing — despite pledging the day before to put it on the back burner until November at the earliest.

But his plan backfired as a host of rebel backbenchers and United Bermuda Party MPs dashed into the chamber to vote against it — and the bill went down 18 votes to 11.

Government Whip Lovitta Foggo — whom the Premier had instructed to tell the UBP, backbenchers and the media that the bill would not go ahead — was among the PLP MPs to oppose it.

The others were backbenchers Ashfield DeVent, Dennis Lister, Patrice Minors, Wayne Perinchief, Alex Scott and Dame Jennifer Smith.

The Premier told The Royal Gazette his "strategy" had been to make a decision "at the last minute" to try to push the bill through.

It's understood he sent e-mails to MPs he believed would support the bill on Thursday night, including some not in the PLP — but kept his opponents, including those in his own party, in the dark.

Ten PLP MPs and Independent Darius Tucker backed it. The United Bermuda Party collectively voted against it, except suspended former Shadow Attorney General Mark Pettingill, who was absent.

Four Government MPs were missing: Nelson Bascome, Dale Butler, Neletha Butterfield and Randy Horton.

A shocked Mr. Horton turned up after the vote, saying he had been off the Island and would have been there to vote against it if he'd known.

Mr. DeVent accused the Premier of abusing the process by letting people think the vote wasn't going to happen.

Former Premier Mr. Scott, a long-time opponent of gambling, expressed his disappointment in the Premier's "apparent legislative manoeuvre".

Mr. Scott said he believed official assurance had been given that the matter would be carried over to the next Parliamentary session in November, and the House was caught "totally, totally unawares".

Ms Foggo was said to be unhappy that the Premier had given her false information to pass on.

Opposition Leader Kim Swan urged the PLP to take action against the Premier for "manipulating people" and attempting to trick them into getting his own way.

Former Government Whip John Barritt, now an Opposition MP, said Dr. Brown had misled both sides of the House, and he was relieved the plan to "ambush Parliament" had backfired.

The bill — which church groups and politicians on both sides opposed, but had support in the business community — would have allowed cruise ships to open their casinos while in port at night.

Many believe it would have paved the way for a relaxing of Bermuda's anti-gaming laws.

Asked if yesterday's defeat spelt the end for his bill, Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette: "That's it for this session."

On the chances of it returning in some form in the next term, he said: "I don't have any specific intention at the moment.

"I'm now in a position to give the cruise ships, the Chamber of Commerce and all the retailers an answer."

Asked why he had not told his backbenchers the vote would be going ahead, he said: "That was just a logistical problem. The decision wasn't made until the very last second.

"I have expressed to them there was nothing meant by that. There was no slight. It was just the strategy that we chose, that at the last minute we would do it."

He said that, by "we", he meant: "Those who support it."

Regarding the information provided to Ms Foggo, he said: "The Whip knew that it could happen, but she was not informed that it was going to happen right then."

The bill went straight to the committee stage yesterday, because a lengthy debate had already taken place four months ago.

In March, Dr. Brown left the bill in the committee stage when it seemed set for defeat after fierce criticism from both sides of the House.

He carried it over on a weekly basis until last night, his final chance before the end of the Parliamentary session.

Mr. Barritt said the bill was now defeated and it was for the Premier to decide whether he wanted to try to resurrect it in some way in the next term.

Dr. Brown added in a statement yesterday: "I invited the vote on the bill being reported to the House today.

"This matter has been on the order paper for some time and there was nothing to be gained from the uncertainty of holding it over.

"Cruise lines and tourism partners interested in this bill needed to know where Bermuda stands on this issue.

"We owe it to them to say yes or no and to be clear.

"Today's vote was clear and the uncertainty is removed. Those cruise lines and tourism partners now know where things stand and can plan accordingly."

It is the second time in less than a month that Dr. Brown has faced a backlash in the House from his own party members.

On June 20, his Government survived a motion of no confidence vote called after the Premier's secretive Guantánamo Four actions infuriated his Cabinet and backbench colleagues.

But many Government MPs spoke out against Dr. Brown, saying they only voted against the motion because it was worded in such a way that it could have led to a General Election.