The Honourable Chief Minister Victor Banks has disclosed that the ten-year period of exclusivity for the operations of lottery in Anguilla by Caribbean Lotto expires in May 2017 and is now before Government for consideration.
“There has been a concern in Government, and the community, that there is a need to regularize the Spanish Lottery – if someone would come forward with a proposal to operate a lottery of that nature,” Banks commented as he responded to a question posed during Government’s press conference on Tuesday, 14th March.
“Anybody who is willing to come forward and present a proposal that provides for a legitimate lottery, anybody who is prepared to do that, I think the period of monopoly for the Caribbean Lottery has passed and now we should be moving into a new period,” the Chief Minister stated.
He went on: “So obviously, in this period, there’ll be no exclusivity. It simply has to be an opportunity open and to decide how many lotteries we want to operate in Anguilla – what will be their contribution to the Anguillian community. Lotteries all over the world contribute to education, sports, health issues etc., so it has to be clear what we are doing – and Government is carefully considering this even as we look at the application for the renewal of the local lottery.”
Mr Banks said person or persons who present proposals for the Spanish Lottery to be regularized, and legalized, must present themselves and meet the qualifications and due diligence as are required under the Financial Services Commission – “because when the Government registers a company to do lottery, Government then takes responsibility that if someone buys a ticket they will be paid, and that the rules regarding payments are clearly established and the method of selling tickets are clearly established on the basis that government will stand behind it.
“There’ll also be obvious requirements that certain guarantees are put in place to ensure that the operators of a lottery are able to meet their commitments.”
