Guam's Casino Game

Bishop Held The Ace In

From TOM BRISLIN on Guam

Voters in the United States Ter ritory of Guam soundly defeated a proposal to legalise casino-type gambling. The question was put to a popular vote in a special election held in April during which delegates to the island’s coming con stitutional convention, and mem bers of a new Board of Education were also elected.

The legalised gambling issue has arisen several times in the past on Guam. The Guam Legislature pass ed a bill last year that would allow a government-controlled casino. But that bill was vetoed by the island’s Governor, Ricardo J Bordallo, an outspoken opponent of gambling.

The legislature also passed a bill that would allow slot machines in a specially-controlled area of the transit lounge at the Guam interna tional air terminal. But that bill also saw a veto.

The latest referendum posed three options to the voters: • Unlimited legalised casinos: • One government-operated casino; and • Legalised slot machines.

Each option was defeated by a greater than three-to-one margin with approxomately 53% of Guam’s registered voters turning out to cast their ballots.

Guam currently enjoys several forms of legal wagering including bingo, raffles, cockfighting and pari-mutuel betting at a greyhound dog racing track which offers three nights of racing a week.

Legislation also exists to permit a government lottery and pari-mutuel wagering on the game Jai Alai, but neither of these has been im

plemented.

The gambling referendum took on all the aspects of a major political campaign, eventually dwarfing the individual races for constitutional delegates and school board mem berships.

A pro-gambling faction of Guam businessmen organised a group call ed Ayuda Guam (which in the local Chamorro language means Help or

Helper to the Island) which spent about US$lOO,OOO to persuade the Guam voters to opt for a govern ment-operated casino.

The group hired a mainland US consultant who specialises in voter campaigns and was credited with the passage of the pro-gambling issue in Atlantic City. New Jersey. It also employed a direct-mail campaign, television and radio advertisements, and numerous full-page newspaper spreads to promote their cause.

They faced considerable opposi tion. however, from the Roman Catholic Church and the Bishop of Guam, Felixberto C. Flores, who waged a personal campaign against gambling. Since Guam is over whelmingly Catholic, the bishop is a formidable force in the swaying of public opinion.

The bishop’s group also embarked on a media campaign which though not as sophisticated as the pro-gambling group was as effec tive.

Governor Bordallo had earlier pledged a strong personal opposi tion campaign to the gambling issue, but as the time drew near for the referndum, he maintained a rather low profile. During the week before the vote he left the island for Washington (DC) and did not return until after the election.

Bishop Flores was elated the day following the returns and proclaim ed it a “great moral victory” for Guam. Spokesmen for the pro-gam bling faction admitted that it was a bitter defeat, and doubled that the issue would be put to a public test again in the near future.

In the accompanying election contests delegates were elected by their villages to represent them at the Guam Constitutional Conven tion which will start this summer.

The convention is charged with the drafting of a Guam constitution as the supreme governing document for the island, to replace the US Congress’ Organic Act which gave self-government to the territory in 1950.