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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- Prime Minister Bruce Golding wants to permit licensing of casinos in Jamaica as a way to boost revenues, a move that is certain to ignite fierce opposition by religious groups who argue gambling encourages vice.
During a budget debate in Parliament Tuesday, Golding said he has already green-lighted a proposal by a group of international investors to establish the Caribbean island's first casino. Jamaica currently has a few hundred slot machines at various hotels in Kingston and St. Ann Parish.
"There are those who I know disagree with casino gaming. But the fact is that the horse bolted through the gate a long time ago with the granting of licenses for hundreds of gaming machines," Golding told legislators.
Parliament will take up Golding's proposal in coming weeks. There was little indication Tuesday of how the bill would fare in the socially conservative country, where church leaders have blocked previous casino proposals.
If Golding's pitch is successful, revenues from casino operations would be earmarked for capital improvements in health, education and security.
Applications for casino licenses would only be considered if there is a minimum investment of $1.5 billion (941.5 million euros) with adjoining hotel construction of not less than 1,000 rooms, Golding said. The casino component could be no more than 20 percent of the total project.
Golding told lawmakers that his Cabinet has backed a proposal from the developers of the Palmyra Resort & Spa in the northern resort mecca of Montego Bay for a $1.8 billion (1.13 billion euros), 2,080-room addition if the casino proposal passes. E-mail to a friend 
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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