Wholesale owners of gambling machines advocate for increased contributions to the Police Retirement Fund.
Puerto Rico.- In a press conference, the wholesale owners of gambling machines, licensed by the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission, requested this Tuesday, March 4, adjustments in the revenue distribution to increase contributions to the Police Retirement Fund, established by a recent law. With their proposal, they also seek to improve the oversight of the industry.
Jaime Alex Irizarry, spokesperson for the group and former Director of Gambling at the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, explained: "The government itself, through the voice of the first official, has recently expressed concern about this issue, what is being collected and how it is managed. We are confident that she will advocate for it to be a reasonable and dignified amount, as our law enforcement deserves."
Irizarry added: "What we are doing is making a call. Our call is to put forward a well-thought-out, clear proposal that does not affect the recurring resources of the government of Puerto Rico and, more importantly, all this money comes from the pockets of the wholesale owners."
The spokesperson highlighted the importance of recognizing the role of this industry within entertainment and combating the stigma of illegality that surrounds it. "To say that all the machines in Puerto Rico are illegal is not true, and that is one of the reasons why this group has wanted to make these statements. This impacts the merchants, the regulated operators, and, above all, the retirement of our Police. We have a direct, responsible, and sincere message to the Fiscal Control Board. We understand that their mission is to protect the fiscal stability of the Island, however, the revenues generated by this activity are new revenues. Before Law 11, these machines were not taxed as they are today," detailed Irizarry.
Regarding the problem of illegal machines, Irizarry reported that there are more than 80,000 operating outside the regulatory framework in Puerto Rico. Although efforts have been made in recent years to reduce this number, only about 4,000 of these units have been taken out of circulation.
