The licensing process for web shops continues to be delayed due to the vast number of files the Gaming Board has had to sift through and because some applicants have held up the process, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday. While he could not give a date for the completion of the regularization process, Wilchcombe said it "must happen" before the end of the year. The web shop industry was initially expected to be fully regulated by May.
"A lot of work is still taking place but we are optimistic about it," Wilchcombe told reporters outside the House of Assembly. "Some companies are still trying to get things done and we want to be fair to all. Very soon we will give a date and that's the date we'll go with and who is not in place by then will certainly not be considered."
He said the Gaming Board has increased its staff to help facilitate the process and the increased work load.
Wilchcombe said Gaming Board employess are still acclimating themselves to the new technology that is being used in web shops. "The technology is so superior and there are many areas that we weren't familiar with that we are becoming much more versed in and also the depth of the detail," he said. "The truth is you must appreciate that some of these companies filed for hundreds and hundreds of workers that must go through probity and there are certain things to be done with compliance." As a part of the process, Wilchcombe previously explained that all applicants have to undergo strict scrutiny from the Gaming Board.
Nine companies applied for web shop licenses: Bahama Dreams, FML Web Shop, Bet Vegas, A Sure Win, Paradise Games, Island Luck, Percy's at the Island Game, Asue Draw + Spin, and Chances Games. Wilchcombe said the government expects to award a maximum of eight licenses.
Those operators filed affidavits in December 2014. They were approved to operate during this transitional period. Wilchcombe said once licenses are issued, web shops that are unsuccessful will be given notices to close, Wilchcombe said. Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said last month that he stands ready to act against any web shop in contravention of the law, but the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) had not been asked "to this date to do anything".
"What we have agreed is that we will allow the process to work, all of the procedures to be followed, and I am satisfied that based on what I am being told - I am being told directly by the secretary of the Gaming Board - things are progressing in a way that is satisfactory to that office," he said.
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