Cayman could get UK lottery money
(CNS): The Cayman Islands government may well be in line for a cash injection from the UK, according to an article in Bermuda’s Royal Gazette. UK Foreign Office minister Henry Bellingham, who was in Bermuda launching consultation on the UK government’s new Overseas Territories White Paper, told a pressconference at Bermuda’s Government House yesterday that it seemed “quite wrong and anomalous” for Britain’s 14 Overseas Territories not to enjoy the fruits of the UK’s National Lottery.
The UK lottery, he said, raised a vast amount of money and paid out billions of pounds but was not allowed to dispense money for good causes in the Overseas Territories. According to the article, Bellingham said that Overseas Territories (such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands) had ninety five percent of Britain’s biodiversity, good justification for receipt of lottery money.
Bellingham said there was a “complete illogicality” about not having the money available for the territories’ citizens and that it seemed “grossly unfair” to withhold it from those with British passports who wish to retain links with theUK.
“It seems to me quite wrong and anomalous that they can’t enjoy the benefits of the lottery fund,” he is quoted in the article.
The article went on to say the Conservative MP planned to meet with the bodies responsible for dishing out lottery cash as a “priority”.
The National Lottery has generated more than £26 billion for good causes in the UK, with the money going toward numerous sports, arts and heritage schemes, as well as health, education and environment charities.Visit www.national-lottery.co.uk for more information.
Category: World News
All lotteries are a form of regressive taxation. I cannot see any economic sense in taxing the poor and vulnerable of the UK to transfer money to a place where the rich do not pay income tax.
UK lottery money currently would be viewed as proceeds of crime in Cayman, so we cannot accept it
It is very interesting (disturbing?) that a proposal by British politician and UK Foreign Office minister Henry Bellingham has resulted in comments bashing Cayman/Caymanian politicians and incited negative comments about Christian hypocracy.
It would seem to make sense to me that the negative comments / outrage would be directed at Henry Bellingham.
Let's be clear. Cayman nor the local politicians have asked for this nor have they even mentioned this. They have certainly not agreed to accept any lottery derived funds. In fact, all we have here is the misplaced ideal of a UK politician that clearly knows little about Cayman or how this idea would be perceived here.
Absurdistani,
Your comment is a fair one. However most of the negative posts on here arent anti Caymanian they are simply pointing out that it would be slightly hypocritical IF this suggestion came to pass. I most certainly am not anti Cayman, i loved my time on your beautiful islands and made a lot of great friends there, however i stand by my remarks that UK lottery funding should only be handed out in areas where the tickets are sold. That seems common sense surely.
Henry Billinghams comments if unsolicited were unwise in the extreme, but local media reporting of same is bound to evoke strong reaction. If the proposals were implemented and the people of Cayman reject the offer on moral / religious grounds then i for one would applaud loudly for you to stand up for what you believe in (although i suspect that few in Cayman actually view a lottery as evil or immoral). 🙂
If cayman does not want a lotery, then they should also NOT accept this money.
If they do, then this would be another example of their christian hypocracy.
I am speaking on the remarks of bashing down on CHRISTIAN, if you want to agree and give your opinion then Christian should speak freely. I am a child of God and i will say we r trying to control the crime here and then we want to add more to it, the devil will never let you see bad as bad he will let you see bad in a good form but the only thing the devil is interested in is getting your soul and he will use anything to attract you, so wake and see bad for bad "WE DONT NEED THE UK LOTTERY MONEY" its not legal money…
If money be the root of all that is evil,why do the churches always ask for more??:(
Common misquotation of the scripture. 1Timothy 6:10 does not say money is the root of all evil. It states the love of money is the root of all evil.
Money is simply a tool. It can be used for good or bad. The love of money can lead to greed etc which is what the lesson is about.
Yup. And some churches loved it to the tune of over one million dollars. I guess they were getting back to their roots.
This news makes me very glad that –
1. I don't do the National Lottery because it has handed out millions of pounds to trendy, headline grabbing causes while ignoring the ones that might actually do some good in the community.
2. I didn't vote for Henry Bellingham because this is BS.
Take the money if you want but the bad publicity it will generate in the UK press is more than going to offset any benefits.
I know – Lets use it to build a casino..!
Better yet, use the money to buy slot machines, roulette wheels and crap tables for the Hurricane Hilton! Cayman Brac will become self-sufficient and probably end up in a position to send millions back to Grand Cayman.
Oh, just lovely! Just what we need. More frivolous spending by Mac and the Muppets. Just great!
Cayman should not receive one cent – we don't deserve it and we didn't contribute to it. Simple.
So I take it if our Government accepts this UK Lottery money in which gambling is illegal in Cayman would that mean that Cayman will make the lottery legal here? Yet again If they do take that money… that means that it is illegal…I'm just saying! Churches what is your take on this or you all have your eyes on the prize too?
As a Caymanian, I would not be in favour of any such lottery realted handouts from the UK or any other government. It cannot be right that we are not allowed to participate but are allowed to reap the spoils.
I think it is great, reap the spoils and yet don't allow locals to play. We need any money we can get!
Then make it legal here so that wecan participate and have the chance of winning something too!
Will people stop declaring Cayman as a Christian State? There are only a handful of religious states throughout the world and sorry to inform you but the Cayman Islands is not one of them (we're not even a state, where actually a island nation). The majority of our country (subject to opinion) may hold Christian ideals and principles but this country is not governed by church. Please note, our laws are also not derived from the bible. Furthermore, before all the bashing begins… I am born and bred Caymanian. Get out and educate yourselves…
What makes them think we want their ungodly ill-gotten gains?
What would Jesus think?
Can't you think for yourself ?
WWJD? Well…if the churches around here are any example of what Jesus would do, then He'd be all for it! You ever heard of a church turning down money?
Then the UK lottery should be played by Caymanians.
wait a minute nothing comes without a price.
What do we have to give up in exchange for lottery money.
Why cayman & Bermuda?Wear the riches stand two most sophisticated of the 4 British territories remaining in the Caribbean.
something is up.
They need to come clean.
Sophisticated????
Even your 'gangstas' lack class and killing each other is the only thing you're any good at these days.
VERY Angry Anne
So why are you here then??
I'm not. I escaped in 2009.
Lets see if the ministers/Chruches going to have any thing to say regarding this after all they all got there big wack from Mr. Premier . Since Cayman is such a christian country.
Churchs have raffles which are the same as a lottery. They should have no problem with it.
Maybe with these funds we can cut back a bit as to how much we sell out to Dart.
Lotteries are illegal in Cayman. This is a matter of principle enshrined in law. Similarly, Government, NGOs & religious organizations should not be allowed to accept the proceeds of lottery held in another country.
Clearly you have missed all the raffles held by every club, commiitte and church in Cayman.
A raffle is a lottery.
Lawlessness is the way to go down here, starts right at the top and goes all the way down to the street punks.
Lotteries are run in Cayman all the time, we just don't call them lotteries. When LIME says if you text a certain number at $1.00 you stand a chance of winning a plasma TV that is a lottery.The text is your lotteryticket for which you paid $1.00. When you go to a fund raising event at the Lions Centre and there is a draw for a gate prize, that is a lottery. Further, one local service club even has the audacity to have a "casino night" complete with poker etc.
Start our own lottery!
If the churches want from the public purse then they need to stop preaching the"Oh you cant gamble crap" and do what there supposed to do and stop the brain washing.
Surely not! You won't accept it will you?
You won't run your own lottery because it goes against your "christian values", yet you'll take money from ours. How dare you!
You load of hypocrites..
And where exactly do you get off on you moral lambasting? The article says that a UK Minister proposed this whilst on a trip to Bermuda.
Can you show me where it says Cayman has asked for this, no thought not.
Another baseless divisive diatribe and excuse to belittle Cayman as a whole based on a nasty interpretation of a story. If you don't like Cayman fine, be honest enough to just come out and say so but please do not use fluff stories to spout off insults.
PS I'm from the UK and couldn't care less where the proceeds of a lottery are spent, its just a stealth tax to fund stuff the government has given up on, if you are mug enough to pay into it good luck to you. A lottery run in this manner is an elective tax, part of which goes directly to government, part goes to 'good causes' (as determined by government).
You must have read something I couldn't see! Where in this article did it say that the "Cayman Islands have announced their anticipated share in the lottery proceeds" or "the people of the Cayman Islands are anxious to put their hands on the UK's lottery money?".
I don't mind you pointing out our Christian values committment, but please, don't take any moral attack on MY people without good cause.
"Your people"? Huh? Who are you? Are you Jehovah going under an assumed name?
Last time i buy a lottery ticket then. Surely the CI Govt will refuse the cash in any event on the grounds that it comes from immoral gambling…………
The UK lottery fund should benefit good causes in areas that tickets are sold only -simples 🙂
So should everyone in the UK who don't buy tickets not benefit either? Sorry, being devils advocate here, I get the point on a collective basis that you would expect funds to be distributed in the same country but in reality you aren'y buying a lottery ticket based on where your losing bets are spent are you? You buy them to win.
It would seem abhorent to UK residents that the OT's be allowed access to lottery funds if they cannot contribute to them in any way. Given the already established and proven benefits to good causes from running a legal lottery, extending the UK lottery to the OT's would seem to be a good solution to the continute lottery debate, and give them a legitimate claim on the funds its distributes it.
But we are a Christian nation. We can't accept gambling money!
More money for the Nation Building Fund, yeah!
Isnt that illegal, proceeds of crime and all that ??
BoooIt can't be illegal if it is sanction by the state!!!!!!!! Man you thinking too narrow.
of course it can if it is sanctioned by another state. Stoning people to death is illegal here (even if the bible orders us to do it) but is legal in other countries.
Gambling is legal and is taxed in the UK, but it and its proceeds are illegal in Cayman
cayman islands…… the charity case……. oh the shame!
Just another reason the Cayman Islands should be investigating this very thing. Now we gonna get it like it or not. lol
Nothing comes free believe you me,there is more to this than meets the eye
No we are against Gambling……………….
Lub money we'll take anybodies. lub lub lub money!!!
I'm sure the bible bashers won't mind receiving extra cash from the UK but will still moan about the sins of gambling whilst rolling in cash like pigs in swill.
Ah but wouldn't it be hypocritical of us to accept money from gambling?
For the avoidance of doubt this is indeed a sarcastic comment!
That's what Cayman needs – a government managed lottery. The funds could be used for education, a vocation school and to fund more scholarships.
That's one move I would like to see the UDP make. If we can take lottery money from England, we ought to be able to have our own lottery which I am all for.
Please don't let the government manage it – its sure to be lost or spent on something else
Errrr, isn't the lottery or gambling against the lawin the Cayman Islands? Talk about a carrot and a stick …LOL…they should have announced this on 1st April!
Gaud, Mr Minister Henry Billingham if I was closet to you I would kiss your feet. Go head and talk we are listening and we are hoping. Dear Fada, GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.