KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is reminding owners and operators of gaming machines and prescribed premises that their licenses are due for renewal by April 1.

To facilitate the renewals, the BGLC team will visit Tax Administration of Jamaica (TAJ) Offices across the island to enable operators to submit applications, without having to travel to the BGLC office in Kingston.

The team will be at the St Ann’s Bay Revenue Service Centre on February 27 and 28, Mandeville Revenue Service Centre on March 6 and 7, Savanna-la-Mar Tax Office on March 13 and 14 and at the Montego Bay Revenue Service Centre on March 20 and 21.

“Each year our team enables operators to complete the renewal of their licenses on time by setting up a temporary license renewal desk at the tax offices. This year, our team will also assist licensees with completing the new forms that are required as a result of the implementation of TAJ’s RAiS system,” Director of Licensing and Registration at the BGLC, Maurice Thompson explained.

“Being on site is a convenience to the licensees, so we encourage them to take advantage of this service to renew and pay the requisite levies on time in order to avoid penalties,” he added.

Section 44 of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act, mandates that licensees operating locally manufactured machines are required to pay to the TAJ and the BGLC a levy and license fee (respectively) for each machine by April 1. Penalties of up to 60 per cent will apply for payments made after April 1.

Operators of the locally manufactured machines are required to pay to the TAJ a levy of $5,000, and to the BGLC $5,000 for licensing and disc fees for each machine. Operators of prescribed premises are required to pay $2,500 for each to the TAJ and $1,000 for each to the BGLC.

 The BGLC is the Government body that licenses, regulates and monitors the local gaming industry, facilitates its growth and development and protects the public from unfair, unscrupulous and illegal activities.