Jamaican Casino and Card Room Gaming

Jamaica can issue up to three licenses by law and was expected to award them in 2014; however, none have been issued.

The process of bringing casinos to Jamaica dates back to 2010, when both houses of Parliament passed the Casino Gaming Act 2010. The legislation set up the Casino Gaming Commission and allowed for the construction of integrated resort casino establishments in tourism areas. Under the Act, an integrated resort casino must have at least one hotel with a minimum of 2,000 rooms. The Act stipulates that the casino gaming component of a resort development should not be more than 20% of the total development investment. Casinos are taxed 10% of their gross profit on a monthly basis.

In November 2012, the Jamaican government passed legislation authorizing prospective operators to begin applying for casino licenses. And it is reported that six operators are interested in pursuing a casino license.

Prior to the approval of casino resorts, the only casino-style gaming activities in Jamaica were slot machines located at outlets throughout the island. Under the Betting, Gaming, and Lotteries Act, enacted in 1975, table games are illegal. Slot machines fall under two categories: traditional slot machines and Ten Cent machines. Jamaica does not tax gaming revenues, but does levy a JMD 10,000 per year tax per machine, along with an annual license fee of JMD 2,500 and an annual disc fee of JMD 500. Each Ten Cent machine undergoes a levy of JMD 5,000 annually, an application fee of JMD 2,500 per year, and an annual disc fee of JMD 500.

In January 2016, BGLC began rolling out its new responsible gaming policy. Casino patrons are now required to provide proper identification and references before they can gamble.