NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar says the Bahamian government lacks the expertise to operate a national lottery, arguing that any such initiative would need to be outsourced to experienced private operators.
D’Aguilar said his position remains unchanged, maintaining that the government is not best suited to manage the technical and operational demands of a lottery system.
“I am of the view that the Bahamas government probably would not be the entity best suited to run a lottery for the main reason that it doesn’t know anything about running a lottery,” he said.
He noted that establishing a national lottery would require specialized knowledge, systems and management capacity that do not currently exist within the public sector.
“They would have to seek professional advice and help and management in running a national lottery,” he said. “I am firmly of the view that there is not the knowledge or the bandwidth or the expertise within the government of The Bahamas to run it.”
As a result, D’Aguilar said the creation, administration and day-to-day management of any lottery would likely need to be handled by an external entity with proven experience.
Despite this, he said government would still play a central role as the beneficiary of the revenues generated.
D’Aguilar pointed to the United Kingdom as a model, noting that its national lottery is not run directly by government but instead managed by a private company under contract.
“The government doesn’t run it,” he said. “The government is the beneficiary of it, but they outsource the management of the UK lottery to a professional company.”
He explained that the UK model channels lottery proceeds into specific sectors such as sports, culture and education, rather than placing the funds into general government revenue.
“It’s most known in the United Kingdom for creating the necessary funding to improve the results of sports persons… by providing facilities, money for training, and it has definitely had a positive impact,” he said.
D’Aguilar said a similar structure in The Bahamas could ensure that funds are directed toward national development priorities, including education, culture and youth advancement, as outlined in the Free National Movement’s manifesto.
He suggested that a structured, quasi-private model—where operations are outsourced but benefits are retained locally—may offer a more practical path forward than full government control.
“I think it would be modeled very much so on the UK lottery,” he said, describing it as a system that has proven both efficient and impactful.
D’Aguilar added that under such an arrangement, the managing entity would likely earn a fee for its services, while the majority of proceeds would be directed toward designated public initiatives.
