By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15, 2022 – I have been playing numbers regularly from the late 1950s when doing so was illegal and the two main numbers houses in New Providence were operated by Percy Munnings and Talbot “Stokes” Thompson.
The “numbers game” in The Bahamas has come a long way since the Government had the good sense to remove the stigma of illegality and legalized this business enterprise in 2014, despite strong opposition from some hypocritical religious leaders who religiously coveted monetary donations from operators of numbers houses.
Since then, an astute group of smart business-oriented numbers operators have developed highly successful businesses that are now as respectable as commercial banks.
This week, the top gaming operators in The Bahamas joined Bahamas Gaming Board Chairman Dr. Danny Johnson at the International Casino Exposition (ICE) held in London, no doubt with a view to continue to improve their gaming acumen and further develop their businesses.
The group included R.H. Culmer, Sebas Bastian, Craig Flowers, Peter Deveaux, Garvin Newball and Lea Brice.
Along with Gaming Board Chairman Dr. Johnson, they were welcomed to the Bahamas High Commission by His Excellency High Commissioner Ellison Greenslade on Tuesday, April 12.
The main reason, however, for their visit to London was the International Casino Exposition.
Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter highlighted the energy and enthusiasm in the air as Ice London opened its doors at the ExCeL following a 26-month hiatus, GIOCONEWS.COM reported in an article on April 12.
“Ice London was back with a bang as the show opened its doors on Tuesday 12 April. An orchestra on the Boulevard, the ExCeL’s central concourse, musically encapsulated the mood at the event with a classical rendition of Can’t Help Falling in Love,” the article noted.
Stuart Hunter, managing director of Clarion Gaming commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to open Ice London after a 26-month hiatus. As a team we are totally blown away by the positivity in the venue, by the energy, and the enthusiasm.
“The atmosphere is palpable, business meetings are already taking place, with visitors travelling to London from every corner of the globe. This kicks off a new era for Ice as we plan for 2023.”
The article further noted, “The mood among attendees was upbeat, with visitors and exhibitors highlighting the unique networking opportunities Ice offers.”
For the Bahamian gaming operators this was indeed a great opportunity to continue their remarkable transition from using numbers sellers in various communities prior to the extraordinary advancements in Internet technology that facilitated the conversion of their numbers businesses into completely high-tech operations long before the numbers game was legalized in The Bahamas.
In the years since the legalization of the numbers game in The Bahamas, gaming operators like Raymond RH Culmer, CEO of Jarol Investments Limited, operator of CHANCES GAMES, based in Freeport, Grand Bahama; Craig Flowers, CEO of FML Group of Companies; and Sebas Bastian, CEO of Island Luck are also now regarded as generous philanthropists.
All three were among the Bahamian gaming operators who attended the International Casino Exposition in London.
