CHIN Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
XAVIER CHIN, president of the United Bookmakers Association (UBA), says he is fed up with the government's handling of matters relating to the bookmaking industry and is calling on Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies to immediately address the issues.
Chin, the chief executive officer of Jamaica's largest bookmaking company, Track Price Plus, said the bookies were promised legislative changes regarding opening hours, among other things, but to date nothing has been heard from the minister.
Harassment
"In October last year, we met with Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, to again address opening hours, as well as the long-awaited telephone betting licence and for all taxes to be on a gross profit basis. He assured us that he would respond within three weeks. It's been well over three months and still no word from him."
"While this is pending, legal bookmakers are constantly being harassed and charged by inspectors of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BG&LC) for breaches of the opening hours regulation. Oddly enough, the inspectors are still collecting taxes on behalf of the government from the same agents in violation of opening hours which states that betting shops should be closed half an hour before the scheduled starting time for the first race at Caymanas Park on local racedays.
"We are tired of waiting ... It's high time the situation be addressed and we call on Dr. Davies to intervene."
Continuing, Chin said that,in 2003, the Fair Trading Commission ruled in favour of the bookmakers on the opening hours issue. Subsequently, BG&LC - the regulatory arm - wrote to the Attorney-General for a ruling and he recommended that legislative changes be put in place.
"The Attorney-General indicated that while the proposed amendment is in process, the minister, under the BG&LC Act has the power under a Ministerial Act to order these changes. Instead of acting in reasonable time, the minister keeps dragging his feet despite assurances since last October. Meanwhile, legal bookmakers suffer and the illegal ones prosper," laments Chin.
The UBA president argues that while racing is making significant strides in places like Britain and South Africa, bureaucratic bungling and short-sightedness by the powers that be are stifling the industry.
"Since 1998, my company has spent millions of dollars to computerise our operations, but having complied, we discovered that the playing field is by no means level.
"The Fair Trading Commission has said the existing regime has the purpose of hindering or preventing competition between licensed book-makers and Caymanas Track Limited (CTL).
"In keeping with this observation, the FTC recommended that Section 2 of the second schedule of the BG&LC Act be amended to remove the opening hours restriction on licensed bookmakers so that they are allowed the same privileges as CTL", said Chin, who was quick to add that the BG&LC is without a board and, therefore, no chairman at present. As a result, no new licences can be approved.
Supported arguments
Egerton Chang, managing director of Capital Betting and Wagering Limited, strongly supported the arguments put forward by Chin, adding that "the day-to-day life of bookmakers is made even more difficult by the functionaries at the BG&LC who constantly harass bookmakers over the simplest of matters. This line of thinking needs to be changed for the good of the industry and the sooner the better."
