Categorized | National News

Gaming Operators And Gov’t At Impasse

The Attorney General’s office and gaming house operators are  at an impasse in a legal dispute over taxes.   

Attorney General, Carl Bethel, who spoke to reporters before a Cabinet  meeting on Tuesday said, “we are in discussions with the attorneys for the Gaming house operators. We don’t accept their interpretation of the law, we are still seeking to agree a framework on the last remaining issue which is the stamp tax on deposits by gaming patrons,” Bethel said. 

“Now I think that we’ll have some further meetings this week and then it will either be that we will have an agreement, or if not, we’ll go to court and we will have to fight it out.

“But that being said, if it comes to that, we expect that the law that has been duly passed by parliament will be fully enforced, even though there’s a joined legal issue, the law is the law and it must be obeyed.”

Last month, the government and gaming bosses went back to court, as gaming house operators continued their fight to have the court grant an injunction against new taxes imposed on the industry.

Those taxes include a sliding scale tax on the industry, as well as a five per cent stamp tax on gaming patrons.

In a last ditch effort, gaming operators in September, filed a suit in the Supreme court seeking leave for an injunction as well as a judicial review in the matter.

But that did not happen, as the court needed more time to fully consider the arguments on either side.

The government, however, agreed to hold off on imposing the taxes.

Supreme Court Justice, Indra Charles, also invited the two sides to meet and talk over the issue.

The government hopes to pull in tens of millions of dollars in gaming taxes this fiscal period.

Representing operators are Queens Counsels Alfred Sears and Wayne Munroe.

Written by Jones Bahamas

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