- The bill allocates all gambling taxes to the hospital and other government agencies.
- The Republican Governor Eddie Calvo issues executive orders to authorize gambling.
The Senate on the US territory of Guam has passed Bill 19 which will make gambling illegal as soon as Guam Memorial Hospital’s debts are paid.
The bill allocates all gambling taxes to the hospital and other government agencies. Exactly how long it will be before the debt is paid is the subject of heated debate.
Senator Ben Pangelinan tried to introduce an amendment which identified a debt target of $18.8m, the figure owed to vendors in the March accounts. Whether or not the accounting figures will go to the Governor with the final version of the bill remains in doubt.
Gambling opponents argue that the amount must be clearly identified, or there is a possibility that gambling will continue to be legal indefinitely. Rules Committee Chairman Senator Rory Respicio has announced that an amendment inserted on Monday removes any inclusion of the numbers.
Currently permitted gambling includes a lottery and events during the annual Liberation Carnival and village fiestas. The Republican Governor Eddie Calvo issues executive orders to authorize gambling on these occasions.
