(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Chaos seems to rule in Suriname as it is not clear how many people actually own a casino license. Even the Association of Casino Operators (VCS) is not sure how many casinos are operating in this country. Last year, four licenses have been issued for dubious reasons, despite an understanding with the association. Parties had agreed that no more licenses would be issued until the Gaming Board would be operational, VCS chair Jules Ramlakhan says in an interview. Preparations for creation of the Gaming Board started in 2009 but are being stalled. ‘It’s imperative that the Gaming Board is created in 2012 to deal with important issues.
One of its duties will be assessing new applications for licenses, supervision and monitoring of the law, investigating illegal games of chance and developing policy for prevention and follow-up of gambling addiction,’ Ramlakhan says.
The VCS chair points to the hard lessons from the past which necessitate the supervisory board ‘We must make sure we don’t issue licenses to criminals. If you look at the DSB banking fraud we have risked losing one of our important financial establishments.’ The DSB bank was taken to court for transgressing the Unusual Transactions Law on behalf of its client, a former casino investor. The bank was acquitted.
