The main honorees of the event will be the sellers from the entity.
Puerto Rico.- Next Saturday, September 28, at the Cataño Waterfront, the 90th anniversary of the Traditional Lottery of Puerto Rico will be commemorated with a large family show dedicated to the ticket-selling agents.
The Secretary of the Department of Treasury, Nelson Pérez Méndez, along with the Assistant Secretary of the Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau, Lorna Huertas, and the Mayor of Cataño, Julio Alicea Vasallo, announced the celebration.
“This year we had to celebrate in style the trajectory of an institution that has impacted and is part of the culture of Puerto Rico. This free event will be dedicated to our agents and sellers who are the heart and soul of the Lottery,” expressed Huertas.
“I am pleased and honored to collaborate with this event of such significance. Almost 3 years ago, when I took office as mayor of this town, I had many goals and projects in mind, and one of them was to turn this Waterfront into a platform for economic and cultural development, and we have fulfilled that. The Big Celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Lottery that we will celebrate next September 28, I know that, with God's help, will be a successful event and will not only honor the thousands of ticket sellers or ticket vendors, as we better know them, but will also serve as a great family party for Puerto Rico,” pointed out Alicea Vasallo.
The event named “Big Celebration” will feature live music, cash prizes, and artisans. During the day, approximately 20,000 visitors are expected to participate, enjoying a family-friendly atmosphere with performances by local artists Andy Montañez, Melina León, Limit-21, La Secta, Plenéalo, and Carlos García.
See also: Irregularities reported in the Puerto Rico Lottery
“Every ticket sold is an investment in the well-being of our island,” stated Huertas, highlighting the work of the sellers and the fact that part of the sales nourish the Catastrophic Disease Fund, the budget of the Puerto Rico Police, public education initiatives, and sports event sponsorships.
People of several nationalities were arrested.
Thailand.- Police have arrested 11 people for allegedly playing poker in Pattaya. Officers raided a residence at Soi Sanamkhan Land in Nong Prue and arrested three South Koreans, two Americans, two Australians, a Russian, and a British national. A Thai card dealer and an unidentified housekeeper were also detained.
Officers claim to have seized gambling tables, chairs, cash substitutes, 37 decks of cards, and some cash. The suspects and seized items were handed over to the investigation officer. Gambling, including private poker, remains illegal in Thailand. The government is analysing a project that would allow the legalisation of casinos at entertainment complexes.
Last week, the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) reported that 45 suggestions will be put forward based on feedback from public hearings on the draft bill to legalise casinos. They will be sent to the Cabinet for deliberation.
According to a report by The Nation, one suggestion was to change the bill’s title from “Entertainment Complex with Casino” to “Integrated Resort Act.” Others include increasing the number of entertainment activities allowed in each complex from four to seven and including areas for promoting Thai culture. It was also suggested that the proportion of Thai shareholders in each entertainment complex should range from 30 to 51 per cent.
There are also several proposals on licence validity, ranging from a recommendation to reduce it from 30 to 10 years or extend it to 50 or 60 years. Some also proposed limiting the number of entertainment complexes to between three and seven, while it was also suggested that complexes should be located in major tourist destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Rayong, or Hua Hin, as opposed to Bangkok.
Another suggestion said casino entry fees for Thai nationals should be set at THB1,000 (US$30) to THB2,000 per time or THB20,000 to THB40,000 per year.
MGM Resorts International and Galaxy Entertainment Group have already shown interest in the possibility of casino resorts in the country. Investment group CLSA said Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts are also interested. The Royal Turf Club of Thailand (RTCT) is also planning to invest THB200bn (US$5.88bn) in an IR with a casino.
