House Approves Casino Gaming Regulations to Operationalise 2010 Act

The House of Representatives recently approved the Casino Gaming (General) Regulations, 2025 that will govern the Casino Gaming Act which was enacted in 2010.

The Regulations set out the foundational rules for the Casino Gaming Commission’s administrative processes, licensee obligations, record-keeping and reporting, regulatory fees and procedures, inspection and enforcement powers, and general standards to ensure the industry operates in an orderly and transparent manner.

In his contribution to the debate on the regulations, Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, stated that they had been carefully considered, and emphasised that additional systems and mechanisms are in place to govern the industry.

“Like every other regulated industry, there is a regulator for casinos. There is the Jamaica Casino Gaming Act and there is the Casino Gaming Commission. Any casino that will operate in Jamaica will operate under licence. The casino operator has a clear responsibility to minimise gambling-related harm.

“The Casino Gaming Commission expects the casino operator to be able to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of its patrons as stated in its internal controls, which should contemplate, at minimum, the following: responsible advertising of the casino and of casino gaming in accordance with the minimum internal controls and consistent with the guidelines stipulated… and with respect to the IRD (Integrated Resort Development) and the general advertising guidelines,” he stated.

Dr. Holness said these include systems to prevent underage persons and other vulnerable individuals from participating in casino gaming or sports betting, loitering in gaming areas, and accessing online, mobile, or in-room gambling opportunities.

“So, they have to put in place mechanisms under their licence which will be scrutinised and policed by the Gaming Commission. So I want to put the House at ease. We did not merely cut and paste best practice legislation from other jurisdictions. It was well thought out,” he declared.

Prime Minister Holness said the IRD concept aims to expand and diversify the nation’s tourism product.

“It is not the intention of the Government to make Jamaica a casino gambling destination… that’s not what we’re trying to do. So, these are not going to be stand-alone casinos where the only activity is gambling and you can walk off the street and just go inside here; no, that’s not what we’re doing.

“What we’re doing is using the concept of the integrated resort where, within that integrated resort, you can have different products that attract people. So if casino is not your fun today, you go on the beach. If the beach is not your fun today, then you can go and do some tours somewhere else,” he stated.

“Dr. Holness said the intention is to broaden Jamaica’s tourism product by incorporating offerings such as theatre and the performing arts.

“We need to be putting on local plays that are of the standard of Broadway, that people can come to our country to see performances. That is a kind of investment and that’s where we’re thinking,” he said.

To support the undertaking, Dr. Holness noted that plans are in place to build a performing arts institution in Montego Bay, St. James.

“So, yes, you have casino as one… we’ll have theatre as one and we have started to work on an oceanarium for Jamaica to be another major attraction; that’s the concept. So, I want to put Jamaicans at ease, that we’re not looking to have stand-alone casinos where you come and gamble… all the maladies that come with that; that’s not what we’re trying to do,” he said.

In piloting the regulations, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, explained that the framework required to operationalise casino gaming in Jamaica will now be fully in place.

She noted that this will support the processing of licence applications and ensure that the first casino, expected within the Princess Resort IRD, opens under clear, modern, and enforceable regulatory conditions.

Meanwhile, Dr. Holness indicated that institutional reforms to the country’s fiscal laws have been undertaken to regulate the provision of fiscal incentives.

“The Government is not on a frolic of its own, either by virtue of a Minister deciding by himself or collectively by the Cabinet, to give any special tax break or any special fiscal incentive to any large investor. That is absolutely not the case… those days are gone.

“This Government is particularly bounded by the law as it relates to how these incentives are given, and they are not done in an opaque fashion. They can be scrutinised, and, indeed, they have been scrutinised,” he said, in response to a query from a member of the Opposition.