Can casino power truly be separated from Cabinet power?

The appointments of Sebas Bastian and Leslia Miller-Brice to the Cabinet following the May 12 general election are already raising a deeper national question on whether or not casino and gaming operators can truly separate business influence from public office.

Bastian, founder of Island Luck, said he stepped down as CEO in March 2026 before becoming Minister of Innovation and National Development. Meanwhile, Leander Brice, husband of newly appointed Minister of Culture Leslia Miller-Brice, reportedly stepped down as CEO of Sure Win shortly before her appointment.

The Gaming Act bars Cabinet ministers and their close family members from holding gaming licences.

Technically, those resignations may satisfy the legal requirements surrounding gaming interests and Cabinet appointments, according to the PLP government. But politically and ethically, it raises questions.

The bigger issue evolves into influence and public trust.

Bastian and Brice, as gaming operators hold enormous influence in the Bahamas. They are tied to money, business networks and donor ships. Many now question whether stepping away from an executive title removes the relationships, influence and access built over years inside the industry.

Even if Bastian and Brice are no longer formally connected to gaming management positions, many Bahamians still wonder whether the spirit of the Gaming Act was intended to create a wider separation between gaming influence and political power altogether.

The appointments opened Prime Minister Philip Davis to accusations of inconsistency. In 2025, Davis publicly said amending the law to allow Cabinet ministers with gaming interests was “not on the table,” creating the impression that Bastian and Brice would remain separated from Cabinet.

Now, many see a contradiction between Davis’ earlier comments and the optics of these appointments.

The appointments raise important questions about where the line between gaming business power and political power should truly be drawn in the Bahamas.