The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) applauds the Government's recent decision to grant licenses for casino gaming in Jamaica.

In a press statement issued last week, PSOJ president Christopher Zacca indicated the organisation's support of this move because of the positive impact it is likely to have on Foreign Direct Investments and by extension, on Jamaica's economy, particularly in the tourism and entertainment sectors.

"In addition to the revenue to be earned by the government, casino gaming will bring with it direct and indirect benefits to a wide cross-section of Jamaicans and will impact on a number of sectors such including tourism, construction and transport," said the release. "As the creation of jobs is one of the PSOJ's priority areas, the organisation also sees the introduction of casino gaming as contributing to the private sector's efforts to reduce the level of unemployment here in Jamaica."

The PSOJ welcomed the move to add casino gambling to the suite of attractions offered to visitors at a time when Jamaica needs to attract a larger share of the global tourism market .

"This will undoubtedly make our tourism product even more appealing to prospective visitors," said the statement.

The statement went on to say that "while the organisation endorses this initiative on the part of the government, Jamaica and its citizens must be protected. To this end, the PSOJ is urging the government to put in place strong regulatory policies by which all casino gaming investors must abide.

These should indicate very clearly the consequences or penalties for those who do not conform to or contravene the stated regulations. The organisation therefore strongly suggests that the proposed regulations be benchmarked against international best practices and ensure transparency in the granting of licenses to potential investors."

"With regards to concerns raised about the negative effects of casino gaming, the PSOJ is confident that the positives will far outweigh the negatives, particularly if there is transparency in the selection process, effective regulations to govern the operation of these activities, and public education, if necessary."

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