Amidst some controversy, the Virgin Islands Gaming and Betting Control Act 2020 was passed at the Ninth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom, Tortola on June 18, 2020, as part of the territory’s push into economic diversification.

Premier Andrew A. Fahie  in his 2022 budget speech on November 11, 2021, has now indicated that the local Gaming Commission board should be in place no later than January 1, 2022, and it will feature staff who will be trained in anti-money laundering.

Anti-money laundering staff to sit on board

Virgin Islands Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), in his 2022 budget speech on November 11, 2021, indicated that the local Gaming Commission Board should be in place no later than January 1, 2022, and it will feature staff who will be trained in anti-money laundering.

He said the anti-money laundering trained staff should be on board by the second quarter of 2022, thus paving the way for the new industry to open up and move forward soon thereafter.

Hon Fahie reminded that the Gaming and Betting Industry is viewed as promising for the VI, as it can generate revenues and create economic opportunities for the people of the territory.

Since the inception of the law, some VI religious groups have rebuked plans of the establishment of the industry in the territory, mostly through a misunderstanding of what it is about.

Religious groups object to move

“Innovation is the only way we are going to be able to strengthen our economy beyond whatever we saw before, and we are going to have to allow for different layers of innovation, to strengthen our economy and our tourism sector and the whole sector overall,” the Premier said as a guest on the Monday, April 12, 2021, edition of the Umoja Show on ZBVI 780 AM.

The Premier reminded that like gaming, alcohol is an industry; however, drunkenness is not promoted in the Virgin Islands and that the consumption of alcohol is still a choice.

“The churches would have their concerns about certain areas of it… but at the same time too… I don’t gamble at all, but it’s another option in our economy,” he said.