GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyanese Government says it will soon move to implement tougher regulatory reform and taxation to curb the rise in gambling activities that have plunged families into financial distress and economic hardships.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, said that gambling, once limited to hotel-based casinos, has now spread uncontrollably through mobile apps, leading to social problems among single parents, especially mothers.
“What we have now is gambling on demand. It’s in every home, it’s an app,” he told his weekly news conference, adding that the problem is worsened by “a very liberal licensing and taxation policy”.
Jagdeo acknowledged that initially, gambling was introduced to support the hotel industry by providing an additional stream of revenue. Casino licences were issued under strict conditions, requiring hotels to have at least 150 rooms and meet high service standards.
However, this model has since evolved into hundreds of small gambling outlets across the country, many of which are operating through apps that allow round-the-clock betting.
“The moment when you have four or five hundred outlets in every village across the country, and it’s all run on an app, it’s creating a major social problem,” Jagdeo told reporters, adding that the Government could no longer ignore the issue, with many sharing stories of families being torn apart, and parents losing their income to online betting.
“It’s destroying people. If they want to gamble, they can go to the appropriate place, leave their home and travel, not sit at home all day using up their salary or children’s money,” he added.
He said that while citizens’ rights would not be restricted, gambling must become a high-cost, tightly regulated activity to discourage excess, and that stronger tax measures will be part of the Government’s approach to addressing this issue.
He also called for a mindset change, expressing concern that gambling undermines long-term goals such as homeownership and financial stability.
Religious organisations have also raised the issue with the administration, prompting the decision to act swiftly, with Jagdeo saying, “We are not going to allow that to continue”.