The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Obie Wilchcombe yesterday disclosed that web shop operators have paid about $35m in taxes, fees, penalties and Request for Proposals to the government during the transitional period.

He added that officials are still sifting through a “voluminous amount of work” to figure out which operators should receive licenses.

Mr Wilchcombe was responding to persisting questions about the delay in the naming of the approved operators, an announcement that had been expected this month.

According to Mr Wilchcombe, the government has obtained applications from ten gaming operators, nine of which have completed and submitted all the forms requested by the Gaming Board. Those ten operators have between them a total of 621 web shops in operation throughout the Bahamas.

He explained that officials have worked to make certain that all the necessary information requested was obtained.

“We had 1,750 employees that we have to go through properly. We have information that requires certain things to be had. We have to make sure that the webpages are posted to ensure that the monitoring can take place because, of course, we have the internal control systems,” he said.

“We are trying to balance having the robust interactive gaming and money laundering and terrorist funding controls, and so the complexity of that, together with the complexity of how these web houses are working and have been working has, of course, caused a tremendous amount of work,” he added.

He indicated that the government has received $25m in taxes, license fees, penalties and other fees; and an additional $10m in Request for Proposals (RFPs).

“We have been able to with taxes and penalties and the RFPs I think that around $35m has already come in, and our projection is around $20m annually and that could increase depending on what we learn.”

“But, as I said on many occasions, the web houses have been very supportive, they have helped us and they have not been difficult to work with. We have found full compliance and they have worked with us; they have opened their doors, we have access now, remote access to monitor what is taking place.”

When asked if the government had already determined the number of gaming house operator licenses to be issued at the end of the transitional period, Mr Wilchcombe insisted that officials would wait and determine the best number after speaking with the experts.

“We have not given a number,” he said. “I don’t know, it all depends upon what is being recommended. At one point I had said no less than eight, the truth is I will wait for the recommendation that will come from the experts who are looking at it. We do have a lot of experts. We have experts from South Africa, from the United States of America, of course we have had one or two from Great Britain and, of course, the Bahamas.

“So they will make their recommendation and we will look at the sustainability of the industry. That is predicated on the sustainability of the industry and can the houses sustain the business they are doing and that will determine the number at the end of the day.”