A brewing political controversy has emerged in the Bahamas after the recent swearing-in of two new Cabinet ministers, with the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) demanding full transparency and threatening to bring the issue before the courts for judicial review over alleged compliance gaps with the country’s Gaming Act.
The controversy centers on Sebas Bastian, the newly appointed Minister of Innovation and National Development and MP-elect for Fort Charlotte, and Leslia Miller-Brice, incoming Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage and MP-elect for Seabreeze. Both appointees have well-documented connections to the Bahamian gaming sector: Bastian previously served as chief executive of major gaming operator Island Luck, while Miller-Brice’s husband Leander Brice recently stepped down as head of GLK Limited, which trades as A Sure Win Gaming House Operator, ahead of his wife’s appointment.
Under Sections 25 and 26 of the Bahamas’ Gaming Act, sitting Cabinet ministers, members of the national Gaming Board, and their immediate family members are prohibited from holding gaming employment licences, and are barred from holding a 5% or greater financial stake in any licensed gaming operator. While the law does not implement an outright ban on all individuals with past industry ties serving in Cabinet, it raises critical questions about whether current regulatory restrictions have been fully satisfied for the two new appointees.
In an official statement released this week, the FNM argued that the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has failed to provide the Bahamian public with clear explanations for how the pair were cleared for Cabinet service. The opposition said Bahamians deserve full disclosure of whether either minister or their families retain any gaming-related financial interests, and if such interests were divested, full details of when and how that process was completed. If full disclosure does not resolve outstanding questions, the FNM says the matter should be tested in court to cement a clear judicial interpretation of the law that upholds the national interest.
FNM Chairman Dr. Duane Sands emphasized that the dispute is not a minor technical debate, but a core issue of transparency, governmental accountability, and public trust in the rule of law. “The public deserves an explanation from the Progressive Liberal Party,” Sands said, noting that a number of critical questions remain unanswered: Have the ministers fully given up any ongoing income from gaming sector businesses? Do any hidden holdings still exceed the 5% ownership cap? He also pointed to a striking inconsistency: Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis previously ruled Miller-Brice out as a suitable candidate for Cabinet in his last administration, and the public is owed an explanation for why that assessment has changed. Sands added that while the FNM has not formally committed to legal action, all possible pathways remain on the table, and the government must prove it has followed both the letter and the spirit of existing law.
Both appointees have pushed back against criticism, asserting that they completed all required regulatory steps to meet compliance standards ahead of their swearing-in. Bastian stepped down as Island Luck CEO earlier this year after being ratified as a PLP candidate. Speaking on the sidelines of the official swearing-in ceremony at Government House Saturday, he said his team had worked closely with gaming regulators to confirm all conditions for appointment were satisfied, and directed further questions to the Bahamas Gaming Board. “The gaming laws are in place, and we would’ve done work with the regulator to ensure that we were compliant and meet all of the regulatory conditions, which were a prerequisite obviously to these appointments, and I am confident that they have been satisfied,” he said.
Miller-Brice echoed that defense, noting that she and Bastian had proactively engaged with the Gaming Board to adhere to all existing rules and guidelines ahead of taking up their new posts. “We have taken the proactive steps necessary, we have engaged with the Gaming Board, and so we’ve done all that we can to follow the rules and the guidelines that the gaming board has put in place,” she said. “Now this gives me and Mr. Bastian an opportunity to take on the role of serving in the capacity as cabinet ministers.”
Latrae Rahming, communications director for the Office of the Prime Minister, has directed all inquiries about the compliance process to the Gaming Board, noting that a formal public statement addressing the matter will be released in the near future. However, many observers and critics say that referring the issue to the Gaming Board is unlikely to resolve concerns, as the Act grants the sitting minister responsible for gaming the authority to appoint all board members, designate the board chair, and terminate board appointments at will, raising questions about the board’s independent oversight capacity.
Questions about Miller-Brice’s gaming ties and Cabinet eligibility have circulated for months. She served in the previous Davis administration as Bahamas’ Ambassador to CARICOM and chair of the National Independence Secretariat, but was not selected for a Cabinet post at that time. In July 2025, she publicly called for a review and amendment of the Gaming Act’s restrictions on Cabinet members and their families holding gaming licences, though she declined to confirm whether she was directly affected by the existing rules. Prime Minister Davis responded at the time by stating that there were no plans to amend the law, and existing eligibility rules governing gaming interests would remain in force for all Cabinet appointees.