José Raúl Mulino discussed the cleaning and restructuring process that the LNB will undergo to make the institution transparent.
Panama.- After the National Assembly recommended Saquina Jaramillo as the new general director of the National Charity Lottery of Panama (LNB), the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, expressed his hope that once Jaramillo completes the legislative procedure, she will begin the work of "ordering that small disastrous world that is the National Charity Lottery."
Mulino reminded that the Lottery generates significant income for the country and reiterated the start of the cleaning and restructuring process to make the lottery games transparent.
It is worth remembering that the president had already announced his intentions to end the electronic lottery in Panama, known as Lotto and Pega 3, with the goal of improving the efficiency and credibility of the LNB, as, according to the president, this modality "is not a business for the State."
At a press conference held yesterday, Thursday, August 29, Mulino acknowledged that this announcement generated adverse comments from some vendors, but assured that "the National Government will increase, as appropriate, the commission that ticket sellers take home."
In that sense, he added: "It does not depend on the electronic lottery, it does not depend on that... there is enough profit for the State to avoid depending on other things."
Mulino concluded by affirming that "the National Lottery and the Gordito del Zodiaco will be the only lotteries authorized in the Republic of Panama."
The goal is for technology to clearly serve the players, vendors, and the Government, which receives the benefits. "Let it not be undermined by shoddy lotteries," emphasized the Panamanian president.
See also: The gaming industry in Panama grew by 13.5% in the first half of the year
As part of the initiative to make the situation transparent, after receiving the endorsement of the National Assembly, Jaramillo said that the list of holders or owners of ticket books will be disclosed, after an audit that is being carried out is completed. Jaramillo advanced that there are 13,000 ticket sellers nationwide and that they have already reviewed about 7,500 of the list.
"We are able, once ratified and sworn into office, to present the list of these book holders with the amounts of each," Jaramillo stated at the time she was questioned by the members of the Credentials Committee of the National Assembly and added: "We are going to systematize that list so that it is public through the transparency portal. So that everyone knows who the holders of these books are."
The number represented 3 per cent of the nation’s adult population.
Singapore.- Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has reported that 99,000 people who were either Singapore citizens or permanent residents visited the two casinos in the city-state in 2023. The number accounted for 3 per cent of the nation’s adult population at that time.
According to the 2023-24 annual report of the GRA, the 2023 figure was similar to the levels observed during the Covid-19 pandemic years and in 2019, based on the published data from the regulatory body and its predecessor, the Casino Regulatory Authority.
For the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, the percentage of adult Singapore citizens or permanent residents visiting the two casinos was 2.5 per cent, 3 per cent, and 3.2 per cent, respectively, of the adult population. In 2019, a total of 107,000 such people, equivalent to 3.4 per cent of the city-state’s adult population, visited the casinos, according to previous annual reports from the GRA.
There are currently two casinos in Singapore: Resorts World Sentosa, operated by Genting Singapore, and Marina Bay Sands, operated by a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands.
In the first half of the year, Genting Singapore posted a net profit of SG$356.9m (US$271.4m), up 29 per cent from last year. Revenue was up 25.5 per cent year-on-year at SG$1.35bn. Las Vegas Sands has reported that Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) net revenue was US$2.17bn in the first half of the year.
On September 10 amendments to the Casino Control Act gained parliamentary approval, tightening certain regulations and protections for vulnerable groups. The country’s two casinos were allowed to introduce cashless gaming but cryptocurrencies will not be permitted due to concerns over money laundering.
The GRA retained the authority to regulate gaming software used on mobile devices within casino premises. The bill transfers the authority to authorise the primary stakeholders of casino operators from the GRA to the Minister for Home Affairs, which the government sees as more suited to “guarantee ongoing harmony between the integrated resorts (IRs) and the strategic goals of the Singapore government.”
