Wednesday 10 December
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Arias Calls For
Prayer Heading Into 2009
Lottery Operator
Could Possibly Regulate Casinos
Gasoline Prices To
Keep Falling. Finally!
Municipal
Employee Fired For Being
Colombian
American Detained
In Multi Million Dollar Scam
Legislators Reminded of
Their Duty to Protect
Fundamental Values
Naranjo Opens With A
Bang, National Champ Is
First Winner of DAYSTAR
Copa Mango
|
Lottery Operator Could
Possibly Regulate
Casinos
The Junta de Protección
Social de San José (JPS)
- the lottery folks -
could soon have a new
name and the right to
operate casinos and
video lotteries, as part
of the changes in the
law that legislators are
discussing.
The bills is being
promoted by Ana Elena
Chacón, of the Partido
Unidad Social Cristiana
(PUSC), that will change
the JPS name to simply
the Junta de Protección
Social.
Chacón said the the bill
aims at regulating
casinos because they are
a reality in the country
and if anyone should
benefit from the
'millions of colones' of
the casinos should the
the people who need it
the most, the poor.
The JPS is the only
authority in the country
to operate lotteries,
whose earnings are
earmarked for social
programs. Chacón insists
that the added revenue
from casino operations
and video lotteries will
benefit the needy.
The legislator wants the
establishment of casinos
regulated and the JPS
the authority to do so.
"At the present time all
there is, is an
executive order that
regulates hours of
operation. Unfortunately
there is money
laundering going on in
cainos and other illegal
activities that must be
stopped and the JPS will
be able to regulate the
activities", said Chacón.
Chacón has the support
of fellow legislators to
have the JPS regulate
casino concessions and
operations. One those
supporters is Carlos
Gutiérrez, of the
Movimiento Libertario,
who feels that the
revenue generated by the
JPS could could benefit
nursing homes.
Gutiérrez was clear that
he and his party are not
defendants of casinos,
only that the should
contribute to the needy.
The legislator compared
the casinos funding
programs for the need in
the way the tax on motel
operations fund IMAS
programs.
"At present the casinos
did not support any tax,
so the industry is not
bringing any benefit to
the country", said
Gutiérrez.
Opposing the JPS
regulation of casinos is
the Partido Liberación
Nacional (ruling party).
Ofelia Taitelbaum,
president of the
Comisión de Asuntos
Sociales, confirmed the
government's unease with
the regulations of
casinos included in the
JPS plan.
Taitelbaum assures that
the JPS cannot be given
autonomy from the
government to make
decision on casino
permits and concessions.
Taitelbaum insists that
that responsibility
belongs to the
Ministerio de
Gobernación (central
government).
Taitelbaum insists that
it was an error that her
party voted initially in
favour of the JPS plan
that included regulating
casinos.
The legislators added
that the Libertatios put
a goal past them and
that it is no convenient
that an organization
dedicated to helping the
needy be regulating
casinos as they do not
have the knowledge nor
the people to manage
casino concessions and
regulations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
