Horse racing on a Sunday condemned by Jamaican churches

The introduction of horse racing on a Sunday has been condemned by churches in Jamaica.

Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) has scheduled two dates of Sunday racing, on 29 November and 13 December, for the first time this year — to celebrate the 50th anniversary of horse racing at Caymanas Park.

But the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC), which for many years has stoutly opposed gambling — specifically horseracing on a Sunday — claims that this is insensitive to Sunday worshippers.

“One would have thought that those who are responsible and in authority would be sensitive to the views of the church, particularly on Sunday, when most of us would gather to worship,” JCC Chairman Paul Gardner told the Jamaican Observer newspaper.

But Chris Armond, spokesman for CTL, said at a local press conference last week: “We need to be able to make more money to pump back into the business, to expand and to fix up the facilities.”

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