There are now more betting shops than grocery stores. The Dominican Republic has been swamped by the sheer numbers of these illegal businesses, while government officials have apparently looked the other way.
A recent report in Diario Libre hints one of the reasons for a lack of governmental oversight – there are at least two senators and nine deputies that have close ties these businesses.
And Listin Diario on Thursday, 25 May 2017, reports that while there are only 1,822 betting shops registered with the Ministry of Finance, it is estimated that close to RD$10 billion is gambled away every year, with most of the betting activity occurring during the seven-month Major League Baseball season. Media reports say there are around 200,000 shops nationwide. These shops mainly attract men.
The Chamber of Deputies is reviewing a bill that returned to the house after the Senate amended the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Bill (Ley de Lavado de Activos y Financiamiento al Terrorismo) to exclude betting shops. Despite nine deputies being part of the betting shop business, the original bill, endorsed by the Executive Branch, was passed without amendments and moved to the Senate where the controversial amendment was added. Now the lower chamber needs to decide whether to reinstate the inclusion of the oversight of betting shops in the bill or endorse the version that passed the Senate.
The National Federation of Lottery Betting Shops of the Dominican Republic (Fenabanca) president Wilson de los Santos told Listin Diario reporters that inclusion or exclusion of the betting shops in the Anti-Money Laundering Bill would not affect Fenabanca, because all their members run legal operations.
Ricardo Nadal, president de la National Association of Sports Betting Shops, requested the implementation of a four-year old initiative to install software at the Ministry of Finance that would link the activities of all the sports betting shops to the Ministry. He said this would lead to an increase in revenues for the government.
The biggest lottery in the country, Leidsa, distanced itself from the lottery shops and sports betting shops. In a press release, Leidsa said it complies with international standards for the business and is in favor of including the lotteries and betting shops in the anti-money laundering bill. Leidsa says that it is connected in real time to the government that controls all their operations.
Minister of Hacienda Donald Guerrero admits that in the past years the number of illegal betting and lottery shops has multiplied, with the government regulating agencies incapable of regulating the sector.
Read more:
Listin Diario
DR1 Forums
MetroRD
Diario Libre
26 May 2017
