A formal invitation to apply for web shop licenses will be released by mid-November and the government expects to "go live" and begin issuing licenses by early 2015, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday.
Once the invitation is gazetted, applicants will have 14 days to obtain request for proposal (RFP) documents, Wilchcombe said.
The applicants will then be given six to eight weeks to return the RFP to the Gaming Board.
"So we hope to go live early next year and, for that to take place, we have to cause for the bill to be enacted," he said.
"We have to collect the RFP... And of course, while that is taking place, simultaneously we will put in all of the infrastructure.
"Once we go through the RFP period, then we have to assess those and we will announce those persons who have made it and who have been licensed to begin."
The 2014 Gaming bill was passed in the House of Assembly and the Senate last month.
Wilchcombe, who has ministerial responsibility for gaming, said the government is looking to award a maximum of eight licenses, however, it is still unclear how many gaming houses each successful applicant will be allowed to have.
Any Bahamian can apply for a license. However, the applicant must meet certain requirements in order to be considered.
Wilchcombe said the government is also looking at zoning concerns.
He said web shops would be not allowed in close proximity of schools.
"We are also looking at the number we will allow on the Family Islands," he said.
"We are very concerned about [proliferation] so we will look at the demographics and make the decision. The web shops numbers will be determined by the size of the population."
According to the RFP that was tabled in the House of Assembly in August, Bahamians who apply for licenses will be required to pay a non-refundable $100,000 deposit for a gaming house operator license, plus $30,000 for each gaming house premises license they apply for.
The RFP says this money will go to "cover initial investigation costs".
Wilchcombe and other officials met with gaming consultant Waldo Van Rensberg, of AG Consultants yesterday and Sunday.
Wilchcombe said Rensberg will provide technical assistance on certain aspects of casino and web shop gaming and training 100 employees over the next year.
The casino and web shop owners will foot the bill, Wilchcombe said.
"We are in new territory, so we have to be very meticulous and ensure that we can manage whatever we introduce and manage it very efficiently," he said. "A lot of work is taking place."

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