However, Bartlett insisted that the government didn’t see Jamaica “ever becoming a casino destination but rather a destination in which casino gaming is available.” He said the government’s observation of “some of the attendant negatives” of gaming in other jurisdictions had dampened its appeal somewhat.
Bartlett insisted that the government wouldn’t issue any licenses for standalone casino operations and that any resort operator licensed to operate gaming on the island shouldn’t expect its casino to provide over one-fifth of resort revenue.
The two resort casino projects to which Jamaica gave provisional approval back in 2015 – Harmony Cove Limited’s US$970 million resort in Trelawny and Celebration Jamaica Development’s US$500 million project in Montego Bay – have shown little sign that their plans are anything more than aspirational.
In March, the government was reportedly mulling whether to revoke the license issued to Harmony Cove, which was still chasing investment backers to secure the land on which it hopes to build its resort.
Similarly, Jamaica’s mid-2017 promise to “fast track” online gambling legislation to bring the island’s sportsbook and race betting operators into the digital age also appears to have fallen by the wayside.
Source: GMB / Calvin Ayre
