Chief lottery proprietor to challenge gaming taxes in court

Published by BBNTEAM at April 22, 2022

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Posted: Friday, April 22, 2022. 9:52 am CST.

By Aaron Humes: Brads Gaming Company will challenge in court the Statutory Instrument in effect adding a 12.5 percent tax on boledo, Sunday lottery, and jackpot sales.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance John Briceño, responsible for lotteries, introduced the measure as part of this year’s Budget to raise additional revenue, but his predecessor Dean Barrow, acting for Brads, will file today for judicial review according to LOVE FM.

Brads Gaming Company and its owner Kim Chee charged that the Government took irrelevant, and arguably political, considerations into account in promulgating the regulations which took effect on April 1, and thus violated his constitutional right to equal protection and arbitrary deprivation of property and the right to work as well as discrimination on the basis of politics.

The application seeks to have the S.I. wholly quashed for reasons of improper purpose, irrationality, lack of consultation, and the fact that the matter was not taken before Parliament. Additionally, damages are being sought.

Reports suggest lottery sellers’ commission may have to be reduced to meet the new payments to the Government.

We continue to follow this story.

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