Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has said that all the necessary regulations are in place to facilitate the opening of casinos in Guyana as the Gambling Act gives the minister the power simply to have the regulations gazetted, and does not require that they be taken before the National Assembly.

The Minister was at the time responding to statements by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin during the recent budget debate when he expressed concern about the recent opening of the Princess Casino claiming that it had begun operations without the necessary procedural requirements being met.

“The railroaded casino legislation required that regulations should be presented to support it. To date we have not seen any,” Corbin said during his presentation which was published in this newspaper.

However, Minister Rohee told the media last Friday the Gambling Prevention Amendment Act of 2007 states that, “The minister may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes…”

He said the minister was given the authority to make the regulations.

“I did so, I made the regulations and it was published in the Official Gazette on November 22, 2008,” he declared.

Also published were the regulations of fees associated with casino licensing and how the casinos ought to operate.

The Minister said that these regulations do not have to be taken to parliament.