Operator News
Jamaica – Jamaica kick-starts search for Integrated Resort operator
By Phil - 11 June 2013
The Government of Jamaica has now launched its bid to bring casino gaming to the Caribbean island for the first time.
Delivering on the initiative to expand and improve Jamaica’s tourism product, Dr. the Honourable Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance and Planning, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica has commenced the process for interested investors to submit proposals for the Integrated Resort Development (IRD).
The Request for Proposal process began on June 1, 2013, and was made possible under the Casino Gaming (Application for Declaration of Approved Integrated Resort Development) Regulations 2012 and the Casino Gaming (Prescribed Games) Regulations 2012, passed by both the Parliament and the Senate in 2012.
Minister Phillips, in his 2013-2014 Budget presentation, spoke about ‘the IRD as the means by which the Government proposes to substantially grow the Hotel Sector.’
The Ministry of Finance said: “The project will lead to the expansion and enhancement the tourism product, enabling guests to have access to the full range of gaming facilities including traditional table games as well as gaming machines. More importantly, the establishment of such developments will not only create jobs for many Jamaicans during the construction phase and when the entity is operational but also trigger new investments in the tourism sector.”
The application documents and a summary of the key RFP specification can be obtained from the Ministry of Finance and Planning website at www.mof.gov.jm. Interested investors have until September 30, 2013 to submit proposals and the review period for applications is estimated to not exceed four months after the deadline of submission of RFPs. A Project Co-ordinator has been appointed to oversee the application process and to act as agent for the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry added: “IRD by definition is a development consisting of a mix of various tourism amenities and facilities in the same precinct including, but not limited to, hotels, hotel rooms, villas, casinos, attractions, sporting facilities, entertainment facilities, service centres and shopping centres. The Government of Jamaica is seeking to identify investors who have the capacity and resources to establish and operate first-class IRDs and who by themselves or in partnership with operators of casino gaming facilities licensed in well regulated gaming jurisdictions, can establish and operate casino gaming facilities within the IRD.”
Currently, gaming by way of gaming machines is governed in Jamaica under the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act and permitted under strict limits as to the number of machines per establishment and number of establishments that can own machines including hotels. Traditional table games will not be allowed anywhere apart from in casinos licensed under the Casino Gaming Act.
The Ministry added: “The proposed hotel development shall include a minimum of 2,000 rooms of which no less than 1,000 should be ready for occupancy prior to the start of the casino gaming activities. The remaining rooms should become operational within the agreed development period specified in the development order. If the Minister’s Advisory Team has no objection to the proposal a recommendation will be made to the Minister of Finance and Planning. If he is satisfied that all conditions have been met he will recommend to Cabinet that consideration be given to the grant of an order declaring the proposed development an “Approved Integrated Resort Development.”
