by Steve Norton
CEO, Norton Management

MPs attack 'too high' casino fees | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda Politics

My comment:

I question Minister's Crockwell and Pettingill for complaining about the annual fees and a casino tax, that is one of the lowest in the World. They could be right, that it might be high for the small resort, now under construction. But in Puerto Rico hotels, casinos were allowed in hotels with as few as 200 rooms, where many have closed their casino.

When we opened the Casino on Paradise Island, we had 650 rooms on the Island, but we also drew from several thousand rooms across the Bridge in Nassau, and our agreement with the government gave us a 10 year monopoly in Nassau.

Casinos in Bermuda can add a meaningful new evening, and bad weather, attraction, and put your Island on an equal footing with many other Island destinations that have their own casinos. But my suggestion would be to place at least one casino in or near Hamilton, where there would be several thousand rooms in close proximity; allowing the casino to offer more elaborate entertainment and dining options.