BGLC Reports 60 Per Cent Increase in Illegal Gaming Prosecutions

The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is reporting a 60 per cent increase in the prosecution of persons involved in illegal gaming, since entering into an agreement with the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) some two months ago.

Chairman of the BGLC, Gary Peart, made the disclosure as he gave an update on the progress of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the entities early October, at the recent opening of the new Hagley Park Road offices of the BGLC and the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC).

Under the agreement, OCID will provide the BGLC with additional personnel as well as investigative, surveillance, technical and specialist support to aid in the prosecution of crimes detected under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act.

Mr. Peart said that with the added resources, he expects that more arrests will be made to stem illegal activities that rob the industry of an estimated $10 billion annually, and also foster other criminal activities.

Meanwhile, he said the operation of the BGLC and the JRC from one location, down from five, will result in savings of over $300 million, and “if we sell redundant assets, it will be in excess of half a billion dollars.”

“This building stands, not only as a new functional workspace that will allow us to get the job done, but also as a symbol of how far the BGLC has come, and its bright future,” he noted further.

In a move to foster greater stakeholder understanding and compliance, the BGLC will, in the last three months of the fiscal year, host five town hall meetings, where directors and other personnel from the entity will dialogue with gaming operators.

The meetings, Mr. Peart pointed out, will show that the agency is not only interested in prosecuting when regulations are breached.

“We are interested in their (gaming operators) well-being. The more money they make is the more fees we get, and the more revenue for the national coffers,” he noted.

He said the BGLC will be expanding its support to the addiction support group, RISE Life Management, as another indication of its community and social outreach.

He informed that the BGLC has completed the training of staff to be compliant with the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), while also delivering POCA training to gaming operators, as gaming lounges are now considered Designated Non-Financial Institutions (DNFI).