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The main problems with tourism are things that gambling can't fix.

We've lost our charm, we've become too crowded and busy, too expensive, too crime-ridden and too rude. Our roads have become too crowded, the green branches overhanging them have been cleared away, and the mossy stone walls have been smashed.

There's a lot less that is quaint, friendly and relaxing. The buildings don't look Bermudian, the restaurants don't look Bermudian, the hotels don't look Bermudian, and the people who work in them aren't Bermudian either.

Some of these changes are completely our fault - others are just changing times and we can't do much about it.

And some changes mean things are going better for Bermudians. One of the main reasons Bermudians aren't working in restaurants and hotels so much anymore, for example, is that better, more lucrative opportunities opened up in other industries.

The introduction of casinos - even the nicest, most exclusive ones you can imagine - won't change any of these things.

To some extent, they might make them worse, at least just a little.

Do we honestly need a new kind of tourist attraction that could be anywhere in the world?

Cup Match crown and anchor games are a unique Bermudian experience. But is there anything remotely Bermudian about poker, crap and blackjack?

A casino is an unlikely place to assert Bermudian charm. Casinos can be exciting but cold places to be. Fraternization between staff and gamblers is frowned on in most casinos, and illegal in some.

Casino gambling is a way to extract money, not to make friends.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't simply reject the casino proposal out of hand. There are positive things to consider.

Maybe we want gambling for our own enjoyment, even if it doesn't help tourism all that much.

Maybe casino profits would be worth it - maybe necessary right now - even if doesn't help Bermudians or tourism in the long term.

Maybe it's the only form of evening entertainment we can afford to give our visitors. There isn't much else going on after dark.

But before we leap for the glitz and the glamour, we should try to be realistic.

The Green Paper on Gaming often seems naively unrealistic about gambling's rewards.

It was, to start with, a study produced by a firm of professional gambling consultants. No matter how unbiased the Innovative Group is, they exist because they like gaming and want to see it done well.

The local panel whose report also forms part of the Green Paper largely quote the Innovative Group, and reach the same conclusions.

The Green Paper's projection of 2,975 jobs added (1,493 directly, and 1,482 indirectly), seems incredibly high. Bermuda's largest private employer, the Bank of Bermuda, employs around 2,000 people worldwide.

Their assertion that hotel occupancy would increase by 29.2 per cent if gaming is introduced seems equally extravagant.

The Green Paper notes that "studies stress the importance of transparency and solid regulation." Given recent Auditor General reports, it seems overly optimistic to think Bermuda can be counted on to provide these necessities.

The report asserts that the public is becoming more accepting of gambling, but this claim is based largely on three forums with a disappointing turnout, and 14 written submissions.

Surely this controversial subject deserves more thorough research.

A Research.bm poll in 2006 found 54 per cent of people were opposed to legalized gambling in Bermuda, while 40 per cent were opposed. (The survey didn't specify what type of gambling.)

And Department of Tourism surveys of departing visitors in 2008 showed that most opposed the ideas of casinos in Bermuda.

Of course, if most people don't like gambling, that doesn't automatically mean that gambling should be banned. Most people don't like opera, but it's legal. You just don't want to be subjected to it against your will. You don't want it spilling out on the streets.

But all these things suggest that we shouldn't just blindly snatch at the opportunity to make some quick and easy cash.

The gaming report declares that "rejuvenating tourism is the primary reason that the Government has decided to evaluate the topic of legalized gambling."

There are a lot of things we need to do - and a lot of things we need to STOP doing - if we are going to rejuvenate tourism.

The case for casinos, so far, is far from convincing.

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