The owner of a gambling club which shut when gaming machines were banned has attacked the "hypocritical" move to allow casinos on cruise ships.

Judy Ming's Plush gaming house on Parliament Street was forced to close when Government stepped up its anti-gambling laws in July 2004.

However, last week 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.

It has led to speculation Government is paving the way for the relaxation of anti-gambling legislation and the introduction of money-spinning casinos in hotels.

"Am I supposed to be happy about Government's decision? Bermudians are so hypocritical." said Ms Ming last night.

"As a previous owner of one of the gambling clubs in Bermuda that was put out of business due to the banning of gaming machines, I think I'm a bit upset.

"Yes, we as previous owners could possibly start our gaming businesses up again but at whose expense?

"Certainly not the Government and we have lost so much in the last four years because of the hypocrisy.

"It was really a bad economical decision to remove gambling in the first place especially when we, the owners, were quite willing to have the machines taxed. That revenue could have done much good for Bermuda.

"We are Bermudians and at the end of the day we were conducting business and that liberty was taken away and for what?"

Meanwhile, on-line cruise magazine Cruise News has described the decision as a sign of desperation as Bermuda attempts to claw back custom from rival destinations in the Mediterranean.

"In a move that signals an increased sense of urgency and — dare we say — desperation, the Government of Bermuda has passed measures that will overturn a long-held ban on the operation of cruise ship casinos and suspend a cabin tax currently levied on ships calling on the Island," reports Cruise News.

"The legislation is aimed at reviving Bermuda's wilting popularity as a cruise destination, especially among luxury lines, which have greatly decreased visits to the island in recent years. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the last luxury cruise company to offer seasonal sailings to Bermuda, pulled out after its 2003 season and has no desire to return."

The article continues: "Once considered among the world's most prestigious cruise destinations, there was a time when Bermuda tourism officials could pick and choose which lines they allowed to call on the island's sought-after ports, denying visits to larger megaships for years in an effort to prevent overcrowding.

"Uniquely, it also required most ships to stay for three full days (though now only NCL's Norwegian Dawn, and Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas offer multiday itineraries).

"A handful of other lines, such as Oceania, Silversea, Fred. Olsen, Crystal and Princess, occasionally visit Bermuda's ports for a daylong stop. The days of luxury ships doing Bermuda-only itineraries are gone.

"The exodus of small and mid-sized premium ships, most of which have moved on to more trendy itineraries in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, has hit Bermuda hard."

Regarding fears of the effect on clubs and bars, the report points out that King's Wharf, the primary cruise facility, is located well away from most sources of nightlife in St. George's and Hamilton. At a press conference yesterday, Chamber of Commerce boss Diane Gordon echoed previous complaints about the lack of consultation regarding the move saying she learned about it in The Royal Gazette.

Mrs. Gordon said the proposal to allow cruise ships to open bars and signature shops had received a mixed reaction from retailers. "Giving them the opportunity to entertain with shops and gambling, a wide range of entertainments, will suggest to some people that there's no reason to leave the ship," said Mrs. Gordon.

"We look forward to continued dialogue about this. A lot of our members say they will continue doing what they are doing and if numbers don't come, they'll have to cut back. We're not taking a negative response to this. "Shops on ships are more specialty stores, but I understand that they're duty free, which is a problem. "The only thing negative is I'm disappointed a dialogue did not occur. To pick up a newspaper and see these things are done — it's disconcerting.

"We could save a lot of time if a dialogue occurred before something is done."