Gambler's rejoice! Those sailing to Bermuda can now gamble while in port. Bermuda's Parliament has given cruise ships permission to keep their casinos open while staying overnight at the port on the island.
The 2013 Cruise Ship Casino Act was finally approved by members of Parliament in Bermuda, the Royal Gazette reports. The act says that ships can operate onboard casinos between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. while in port. Ships that carry more than 2,000 passengers would have to pay a license fee for the opportunity. The fee would be waived for smaller ships, as smaller ships don't visit the island as often.
Cruise whips are allowed to have their casinos open while in international waters but Bermuda is a rare stop in which many ships visit for more than a day. There are some ships, particularly those from Boston and New York which make Bermuda their only stop.
Yet Bermuda has seen less cruise ships in recent times. The island was only expecting to get 128 ships this year which is a sharp decrease from the 161 in 2012.
According to tourism minister Shawn Crockwell, the act allowing ship casinos to stay open will be beneficial to both cruise ships and the island itself, according to the Royal Gazette. The law will make Bermuda a more attractive place to stop at. Crockwell says there wouldn't be much impact on local stores, restaurants or entertainment venues as most cruise passengers return to the ship by 9 p.m.
Yet Crockwell says that his company will keep close track of how the new law will play out on local businesses. A similar act was shot down by Bermuda's Parliament in 2009. It is not clear where the change of heart came from.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
