Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 18/Jan 02:36

Taking bets on Sunday gambling

The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) announced via legal notice on January 2, that it will change established practice to allow Sunday games from February 8 with altered draw times. The NLCB is clearly hoping that the convenience of having facilities open to allow payments for utility bills and other non-gambling transactions would balance a real change in this country's history with gambling. The idea is that Sunday, generally regarded as a day for worship, rest, and reflection, could also be a day for a Quick Pick. That hasn't worked. The NLCB then clarified that gaming will still be suspended on religious public holidays, and noted that casinos in Trinidad and Tobago remain open on Sundays. The board also claimed that TT is the only country in the Caribbean that does not have gambling on Sundays. But petroleum sector revenues have largely insulated TT from the revenue choices that faced more than 22 countries in the region which strategically added tourism-focused gambling to their list of attractions decades ago. Gambling in this country lives in a phantom zone of legality, between the business licences granted for gaming operators, betting operators, bookmakers and promoters and the state sanctioned and operated games overseen by the NLCB. There is nothing in this country to match the scale of the Atlantis Casino in the Bahamas, the casinos in Puerto Rico or the online betting regimes enabled by Antigua and Barbuda. Deferring to the traditions of religious bodies on designated holidays ignores the sanctity that Sunday holds for the faithful and sends a message that the NLCB views its operations as a state-managed version of the local casino network. Unsurprisingly, the TT Council of Evangelical Churches issued a strong condemnation of gambling on Sundays by noting that the move only feeds the potential for addiction and undermines the moral foundation of the society. The soft launch planned for February 8 has also drawn concern by the Electronic Lotto Agents Association who pointed out that agents face increased double or triple time costs for labour with the potential of increased security risks for still unclear returns on the new sales day. Agents can choose to opt out of the February launch, but if the NLCB is determined to extract more revenue from local gamblers, it may well become a mandatory part of an agent's contract. The Finance Minister described the move as part of a "business expansion model." Dave Persad, president of the Online Gaming Agents Association hasn't been able to schedule a meeting with the new board appointed on July 25. The association found out about the addition to the gambling calendar the same way everyone else did, on social media. "We are the point people bringing in the money for the organisation, why not engage us?" Mr Persad asked. Why this wasn’t discussed more widely with stakeholders is the larger question. The post Taking bets on Sunday gambling appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.