Gaming machine owners, operators urged to renew licences

The Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is urging owners and operators of gaming machines to renew their licences by March 31.

Director of Licensing and Registrations Maurice Thompson encouraged operators “to take advantage of the remote licensing facilities for renewal at Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) offices across the island between February 27 and March 14, 2023”.

A release from the commission outlined the scheduled dates for licensing as Mandeville, Manchester, February 27 – 28, 2023; Montego Bay, St James, March 6 – 7, 2023; Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, March 13 – 14, 2023.

For the renewal process, licensees are required to pay levies to TAJ for each machine and each premises, as well as corresponding fees to the BGLC. The TAJ receipt must be presented at the time of payment of the BGLC fees.

“Licensees can pay the commission fee using their debit or credit card and will no longer need to do so through the bank,” Thompson noted further. BGLC payments can also be made at Bill Express locations island-wide or online at billexpressonline.com.

Meanwhile, executive director of the BGLC Vitus Evans urged persons to make their payments on time. “If you are not licensed then you are an illegal operator, and we will have to take action, and your machines can be seized,” he warned.

Operators of locally made machines will pay $5,000.00 per machine to the TAJ, and $5,000.00 for licensing and disc fees per gaming machine to the BGLC. Owners of premises that house machines are required to pay $2,500.00 per premises to the TAJ and $1,000 for each premises to the BGLC.