The newest draft of the Gaming Bill says that web shop operators who fail to close their businesses during the proposed closure period will disqualify their businesses from receiving licenses for gaming operations.
While no date for the transition or closure period is defined in the bill, it says that all operators must comply with the closure period and make full disclosure of all of their businesses' turnovers and gross profits.
The bill adds that all gaming taxes must be calculated at the prescribed rate and are payable between July 1, 2014 and the end of the closure period.
The rate is also not defined as yet.
Any contravention of these provisions by any business establishment permitted to operate "will render the continued operation of such business unlawful, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the act and will be grounds for the disqualification of such business for any license provided for by this act," the bill reads.
The bill provides for several licenses for web shop operators: a gaming house operator license, a gaming premises license and a gaming house agent license.
Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe has said that the government is determining a period of closure for web shops.
Wilchcombe recommended that web shops be made to close before the regularization period begins. However, he said he has faced some opposition to that.
"The web shop consultants are suggesting that it's not necessary," he said. "We're weighing it right now."
Attorney Wayne Munroe, who represents a group of web shop owners, said he does not see the logic in closing down web shops for a period of time before they are regularized, as it would hurt web shop employees.
Wilchcombe said the new Gaming Bill will be tabled in Parliament at the end of this month.
During the closure period, if web shop operators wish to continue with their business, they will have to file an affidavit and serve it to the Gaming Board.
If an operator fails to supply an affidavit within the prescribed period of 14 days after the closure period, "he shall be deemed to have elected not to continue the operation of any such business during the transition period and he shall effect the closure of every such business", the bill said.
The newest draft of the Gaming Bill would continue to prohibit Bahamians from gambling in casinos.
Web shops would be permitted to legally engage in cash betting transactions with domestic players only, the bill says.
The "domestic player" refers to anyone who is ordinarily resident in The Bahamas, is the holder of a permanent residence certificate, is a work permit holder or the spouse of any of these people.
Under an early draft of the bill more than a year ago, the government had proposed that while Bahamians would still be prohibited from gambling in casinos, permanent residents and work permit holders would be able to do so.

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