The secretary of the Board of Control of Games (JCJ) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Manuel Sánchez, said that "the tax on the gaming tables was created in the last Administration" and that "it applies to bingos , casinos, slot machines and sports betting.”
"The elimination of the tax will represent a support to the hotel and tourism sector because players will have better conditions to come to Panama," Sanchez said in a public statement.
An official source told the EFE news agency that this tax "paid by the bettor has taken away competitiveness from Panama as a betting center against the Caribbean and the United States."
Panamanian professor and economist Olmedo Estrada told EFE that "from the economic perspective this measure can be an incentive for both international and national punters."
The Gaming Control Board also announced that it will implement measures to improve revenue collection in the sector, such as the implementation of “interconnected and electronic system that will facilitate auditing operators.”
According to the data released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, between January and August, 50.8 million dollars were collected from gambling, 33.2% less in the same period of 2018.
Fuente: GMB / Agencia EFE
