ACTING ON a March 2003 complaint from Track Price Plus Limited regarding the opening restriction on Licensed Bookmakers, the Fair Trading Commission has ruled in their favour.
In a letter from executive director Barbara Lee to Xavier Chin, CEO of Track Price Plus dated January 27, Track Price Plus was notified of the decision. The letter in part read:
"The Staff of the Fair Trading Commission has now completed its investigation under Section 17 of the Far Trading Competition Act regarding the opening hours restriction placed on Licensed Bookmakers.
"The investigation was carried out in relation to a provision in Section 2 of the Second Schedule of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, which requires that betting shops operated by licensed bookmakers be closed one-half hour before the scheduled time for the start of the first race locally run race.
"Having analysed all the information available to it, the Staff has found that the object and effect of the provision is to lessen competition between Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) and Licensed Bookmakers.
"We found also that the restriction placed on Licensed Bookmakers is not indispensable to the operations of the horse racing industry, and have therefore recommended to the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, the industry regulator, that the provision be amended to remove the restriction".
Attached to the letter was the report of the Staff's finding. The 23-point report pointed had this to say about the restrictive provision:
Section 19 states that the Staff finds that the provision negatively affects competition between CTL and the Licensed Bookmakers, as CTL is authorised to open up to 67 1/2 hours per week, while Licensed Bookmakers are authorised to open for approximately 56 1/2 hours per week, where there are two local race days for the week. Licensed Bookmakers, having to close their shops prior to the start of the first race, are deprived of customers who prefer bets on a race by race basis.
(ii) The provision negatively affects Licensed Bookmakers ability to sell bets on international horse races on the days which horse racing is held in Jamaica, since they have to close their shops early.
(iii) The provision imposed undue restrictions on Licebsed Bookmakers and limits their ability to generate revenue.
(iv) The provision does not satisfy Section 17(4) of the FCA. It does not result in contribution to the improvement of production, or distribution of goods and services, or the promotion of technical or economic progress while allowing consumers a fair share of the resulting benefit. It imposes unnecessary restrictions.
The report went on to speak of the "anti-competitive effects" of all this and in its recommendation, said the law should be amended to remove the opening hour restricted placed on licensed bookmakers "so that they be allowed the same privileges of CTL".
Seabiscuit for best picture
SEABISCUIT, THE horse racing movie which was a surprise hit in the United States last summer, was earlier this week nominated for best picture of 2003 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood.
The film was chosen by the Jockey Club of Jamaica last August for a Charity Premiere at the Island Life Cinema in New Kingston and was well received by the capacity crowd of racing enthusiasts.
Seabiscuit was among five films nominated in the best picture category. The others were Lord Of The Rings the Return of the King, Lost In Translation, Master and Commander and the Clint Eastwood-directed Mystic River.
In all, Seabiscuit was nominated for seven oscars, including best adapted screenplay by Frank Ross and best achievement in sound. The awards will be presented in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 29.
Seabiscuit, based on a true story about a legendary American horse in the 1930s, grossed over $120 million in America alone, upstaging such highly touted midsummer flicks as Charlie's Angels 2, Swat, Lara Croft Tomb Raider 2 and Freddie meets Jason.
