The Gleaner reported that an eight-year ban on the licensing of gaming lounges for shops with 20 to 150 gaming machines has been lifted by the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) because the state needs the cash that will be generated.
The report said that the ban has not been lifted nationwide. It remains in place on gaming lounges for the parishes of Trelawny, St James and Hanover, which are designated as the Exclusive Geographic Area (EGA).
"It was a ministerial policy direction in an effort to get more revenue from the industry," said Derek Peart, executive director of BGLC. According to Peart, the gaming industry has a gross turnover of some J$25 billion to J$26 billion annually and the sector's contribution to the Jamaican economy is often under-estimated, the Gleaner stated.
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