Resort casinos are back on the political agenda for a number of Caribbean destinations, as fears about declining growth reinvigorate debate about the future direction of the tourist industry. The regional body CARICOM is highlighting labour issues, sustainability and global competitiveness as broader economic concerns in the process, but while opportunities could be on the horizon in Jamaica, the Revolution’s survival means that Cuban liberalisation could be several years off yet.

Nicaraguan authorities have proposed a brief amnesty period for illegal slot machine operators to obtain official authorization for their gaming activities, but at the same time they have threatened those venues that fail to comply with all legal requirements with closure after a March 31 deadline.

The Buenos Aires municipal government is hoping to attract international investment for new gaming activities, including internet gambling, once long-standing legal and political uncertainties surrounding the city’s regulatory regime are resolved over the coming months, the head of Buenos Aires’ gambling department told GamblingCompliance in an exclusive interview conducted at last week’s SAGSE exhibition.

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has reassured local business groups that a government commission is being established to regulate casinos on the Caribbean island.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is considering substituting its long-running sports-lottery game Prode for a revamped, single-match betting product, according to reports in the country. The AFA has previously played a central role in attacking operators offering betting opportunities on local soccer matches in Argentina.

Gamblingcompliance.com reviews the tax regime applicable to gambling operators in the Czech Republic.

Venezuela’s tax authority is set to impose new taxes on lottery winnings in the country, with the rates payable for prizes won on unlicensed lottery games set at 34 percent, more than double that applied to officially sanctioned lotteries.

Loteria Nacional, the administrator of bingo gaming in the city of Buenos Aires, has announced a new tendering process to grant licences to bingo operators. However, politicians are enraged at the move, which they see as undercutting Buenos Aires' political authority.

Last week, Mario Das Neves, Governor of the Argentine Province of Chubut, announced a 120 percent increase on fees levied over gaming businesses operating within Chubut. The Governor’s announcement has led several political leaders in Argentina to request a general tax hike for the gaming industry across the country – sparking concern amongst operators in Argentina’s booming gambling market.

The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has called on the authorities to modernise the country’s football betting market in order to protect the domestic game from fiscal concerns that had threatened to delay the start of the new season.