Online games shutdown

THE EDITOR: The interim committee set up to look after the interests of Lotto agents is putting the NLCB on notice that on Monday and Tuesday there will be a total shutdown of all machines. This is in response to NLCB’s reinstatement of a $100 weekly fee after it was removed last April. This action is also in response to the board’s lack of response on other issues.

This fee was found to be unjustified and unreasonable by the chairman, Eustace Nancis, at a meeting in November 2019. It was revealed by Rolph Clarke, then online manager, that the fee was to assist in payment of IGT personnel. Nancis, Michael Jogee (former director) and the agents association found that to be illegal as agents are not the employers of IGT and its employees. IGT being the service provider for NLCB should be paid by the NLCB. And, may I add, the NLCB pays IGT a hefty fee to cover its expenses.

The weekly fee was finally removed in April 2020.

Reinstatement of this fee is insulting and disrespectful to agents. It is also a breach of good faith and a unilateral revocation of a decision made by NLCB’s management. It is also illegal.

The over 60 per cent drop in sales, competition from illegals, adherence to covid19 regulations, high cost of living, payment of rent and workers make this fee even more unmanageable.

The NLCB continues to take advantage of agents in all aspects of our operations. Some of these are contracts, verification of deposits, win tax, commissions, illegal gambling, unjustified suppression of machines – and many more.

All these issues are left unattended and unresolved and continue to be a stress on agents. Numerous requests for meetings with the NLCB and e-mails to the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister highlighting the problems have fallen on deaf ears.

We are again calling on the PM and the Finance Minister to intervene and investigate the operations at the NLCB. We are available for a meeting at short notice.

We are asking all agents to support this shutdown in an effort to have our issues resolved. We are also asking agents not to deposit the $100 fee on Monday.

DEAN PERSAD

interim chairman

agents’ committee