- Parliament was debating the Casino Gaming General Regulations 2025
- Integrated resorts are promoted as an economic opportunity
- The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance questioned addiction safeguards
- It wants treatment, education and enforcement in place before licences
A coalition of Jamaican church leaders has urged caution as the country moves toward casino gaming in integrated resort developments, the Jamaica Observer reported in February 2026.
The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance issued its statement while Parliament was debating the Casino Gaming General Regulations 2025. The group acknowledged that integrated resorts are being promoted as economic opportunities, but asked whether the country is ready for the social costs. “As the parliamentary debate is unfolding, several practical and social questions arise. What protective measures will be in place to address problem-gambling?” it said.
The alliance questioned whether public health services, counselling and regulators are prepared for possible increases in gambling addiction, and whether vulnerable communities would be hit hardest. It was clear on its moral position: “Economic development is important. However, for all the moral reasons that the Church has often stated, gambling as an industry can never receive pastoral endorsement.”
Referring to Psalm 127, the church leaders said Jamaica’s progress must be “holistic — economically sound, socially responsible, and morally grounded”. They called for addiction treatment frameworks, public education and enforcement mechanisms to be firmly in place before casino licences are granted. “The question before us is not simply whether casinos can generate revenue, but whether we are fully prepared to manage their long-term risk,” the statement said.
Integrated resorts are among the largest real estate investments a country like Jamaica can attract, combining hotels, entertainment, retail and, in this case, gaming. They can lift land values, bring construction jobs and spur housing demand around them. The church leaders are not disputing that; they are asking who pays the social bill.
For investors and homeowners near proposed resort areas, the debate is worth following closely. Strong regulation and community safeguards tend to make big developments more sustainable, while social problems left unaddressed can undermine the very neighbourhoods the investment is meant to lift. The church, with congregations in almost every community, is likely to remain a significant voice in that conversation.
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