Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley has said that his government will be taking its time with the forming of the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Commission.
The premier’s comments on the subject follow a recent notice sent out by his Office that warned casino and gaming operators in the territory to cease such activities.
The notice said, “Any person operating any casino, gaming and/or betting operations within the Virgin Islands is reminded that, pursuant to section 29 of the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act, 2020, a person shall not participate in any aspect of the gaming and betting sectors without first acquiring the necessary licence from the Gaming and Betting Control Commission.”
It added, “Based on the VI Gaming Act, any person undertaking gaming and/or betting operations or providing facilities of any kind for betting or gaming without a licence, commits an offence. Therefore, any person operating any casino, gaming and/or betting operations is asked to cease such operations immediately, until such time as the Commission is in effect and grants the requisite licence to so operate.”
The notice prompted local media to press Premier Wheatley for an update on the status of the Commission.
He responded, “The Commission hasn’t been formed as yet. It is something that we are taking a look at. We haven’t decided to move too quickly. It is something we want to take a good look at before we move forward with it.”
Premier certain there is illegal gambling taking place
Dr. Wheatley also expressed that he is of the belief that there is illegal gambling taking place in the territory, adding that he had no concrete evidence to support his belief.
“In terms of whether persons are gambling, I’m pretty sure persons gamble in the territory. I don’t have any specific knowledge in it or participation in it I should say, but I’m pretty sure, I’ve heard that people tend to gamble in the territory,” he stated.
The Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act 2020 was officially published in the government’s Gazette and became law on July 9, 2021.
The government had initially projected estimated earnings of $5.7 million in gaming revenues for the 2022 fiscal year, a figure that may now be well out of reach since the Commission is yet to be established.
In March 2022, the government sent out a request inviting qualified, professional, experienced, and resourceful firms to submit proposals to provide consultancy services for the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Commission.
The intended purpose for the consultancy services as put by the government is to “develop procedures applicable to the operations of the Commission, develop regulations for governing the operations of gaming activities in the Virgin Islands, and provide general consulting services to assist the Commission in complying with its duty to regulate and oversee the Virgin Islands gaming and betting industry.”