The Gaming Board for The Bahamas (“the Gaming Board”) is a supervisory body that is responsible for regulating all licensed gaming and related activities that are offered by casinos and gaming house operators in The Bahamas.

The Ministry of Tourism

The Gaming Act, 2014 (“the Act”), which is the Act that governs the Gaming Board’s operations, makes provision for the appointment of a Secretary who has overall responsibility for directing the daily operations of the Gaming Board.

There are jobs in maintenance, electronics, investigations, accounting, administration, law, information technology and human resources.

No. However, the Gaming Board, through its employees, maintains a presence at each casino operation in order to provide regulatory guidance and oversight.

Contact the Human Resources Department by telephone or via email.

The necessary requirements for each position are noted in the advertisement.

Yes. However, you will still be required to undergo the usual background checks to confirm your suitability for employment with the Gaming Board.

An applicant must firstly complete a Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure Form (“MJPHD”) along with an Authorization for Examination and Release of Information and Indemnification form.The MJPHD must be completed in full, notarized, and accompanied by the prescribed statutory fees. The Board then conducts a background investigation as well as an interview to determine the applicant’s suitability for licensure. Completed applications and findings are submitted to the Appointed Board for consideration.

Per Regulation 12(1) (a) of the Gaming Regulations, 2014, the MJPHD form is a statutorily mandated application form that is also recognized within the international gaming industry. It is used to capture the necessary information needed to commence an investigation into an applicant’s background.

The Authorization for Examination and Release of Information and Indemnification form gives the Board the authority to conduct investigations and make inquiries to various agencies on behalf of the applicant. It also safeguards the Board from any potential lawsuits.

The Board seeks to safeguard the integrity of the gaming industry by ensuring that all applicants are fit and proper and are not disqualified under Section 25 of the Gaming Act 2014 (“the Act”).

The lead agent responsible for the investigation reviews the MJPHD form and supporting documentation in the presence of the applicant.

There is no time stipulation as each application is unique and numerous factors can affect the process. However, applications are submitted on a monthly basis for consideration by the Appointed Board.

The key employee licence is valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance.

The licence is non-transferable; however, future investigations for previously licenced individuals may be abridged due to the extensive investigations that were conducted for prior licensure.

It serves as a disqualification if the applicant was convicted of an offence within the previous ten (10) years in contravention of the Act or any similar law in The Bahamas or elsewhere. Such offences may include but are not limited to fraud, corruption, dishonesty or misappropriation of money. If however, the applicant was pardoned, the relevant offence may not act as a disqualifying factor.

No, however, you can engage in gaming with another Gaming House. Bahamian citizens are not permitted to participate in gaming within the casinos.

1. A Supplier licence is required by every person who: a. Distributes any gaming device for use in The Bahamas b. In The Bahamas, maintains, alters, repairs (other than engaging in the routine maintenance, repair or alteration defined in section 47(3) (a) of the Act) or modifies a gaming device; or c. Otherwise directly supplies any gaming device to the holder of a licence issued under this Act, for use in The Bahamas.

No. A supplier licence is only issued to a company.

Not necessarily as an exemption from an investigation is not granted outright. Section 47 (6) of the Act stipulates the following: Notwithstanding any provision of this Act to the contrary, an applicant for a supplier licence which, on application for such licence and on payment of the prescribed application fee, produces a current, valid licence, certificate or similar approval, authorizing any of the activities required for a supplier licence under this Act, and is issued by a regulatory authority situated in Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi or Singapore, or such other regulatory authority, the Board may recognize for the purposes of this section from to time to time, shall not be required to undergo any investigation referred to in the Act for the purposes of its application for such licence, but shall be deemed to qualify for a Supplier licence under this Act. In light of the foregoing, before an applicant for a supplier licence can be deemed to have met the prerequisites of Section 47(6) of the Act, the Board must firstly conduct an eligibility analysis to confirm that the licence/certificate (and accompanying information) produced by the applicant are in fact current and valid. It is only in instances where the Board is able to satisfactorily confirm the applicant’s regulatory standing, in accordance with Section 47(6), that no further, in-depth due diligence investigation is required. Accordingly, the statutory fees, inclusive of an investigative deposit, must accompany any supplier licence application.

The Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure Form is the required form. Same can be collected from your employer.

Charitable lotteries such as raffles are approved by the Minister Responsible for Gaming who may grant written approval, after consultation with the Gaming Board, to a prior request made to hold a charitable lottery. (Section 59 Gaming Act 2014)

Yes, all persons who work in gaming related areas of Casinos and Gaming Houses require a licence. Individuals holding supervisory positions or those vested with direct control over gaming operations must obtain a Key Employee Licence from the Gaming Board; whereas those employees who are directly responsible for performing non-supervisory functions are required to obtain a Gaming Employee Licence. (Sections 48 & 49 Gaming Act, 2014)

A licence application form may be obtained from the Gaming Board’s website - Application Forms.

No, licence application fees and annual licence and monitoring fees are non- refundable. (Section 27 (1)(b) Gaming Act, 2014)

Having a criminal record may affect the outcome of your application, particularly if you have been convicted during the previous ten years, in The Bahamas or elsewhere, of any contravention of the Gaming Act or any similar law, orany offence of which corruption or dishonesty is an element, unless you have been pardoned in respect of such offence. (Section 25 of the Gaming Act, 2014)

1. Review the forms to ensure that they are fully completed and signed where required. Also make sure that you have all of the required documents in your possession.

- Multi-Jurisdictional Form must be notarized.

- Authorization Release Form must be notarized.
- Temporary Employee Licence Form must be notarized.

2. Submit all required documents to your Human Resources Departmentfor their review with you to ensure completeness.

- Original Birth Certificate

- Original Fingerprint Card
- Original Marriage Certificate (where applicable)
- Original Police Record
- 3 Original Character Reference Letters
- 4 Passport Sized Photographs
- Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure Form
- Authorization Release Form
- Temporary Employee Licence Form (where applicable)

Your original birth certificate, affidavit and marriage certificate (if applicable) will be returned to your Human Resources Department upon completion of the Gaming Board’s investigation.

Yes, each employee is required to renew their licence on an annual basis. This process involves an interview with a Gaming Board Inspector and the following documents are required to be submitted;

1. A Relicensing Form

2. A valid police certificate
3. Your expired Gaming Board Identification Card.

If you leave the company, you are required to surrender your Gaming Board Identification Card to the Human Resources Department of your company, at the time of your departure.

If you move to another company where you will be required to obtain either a Key Employee Licence or a Gaming Employee Licence, that company will be responsible for submitting an application on your behalf and paying the requisite fees.

Under section 64 of the Act, the holder of an operator license shall pay to the Board basic taxes and gaming taxes at the rates or percentages or amounts at the times and manner prescribed (Also, refer to sections 187 and 188 of the Gaming Regulations, 2014).

Basic Taxes – is an annual tax paid in six equal monthly installments by casino operators only; the first of which is due on the thirty-first day of January and the remainder on the last day of each succeeding month. The basic tax amount applicable is subject to the size of the casino floor space which falls into three categories: small, medium and large casinos.

Gaming Taxes – taxes derived from monthly taxable revenues (adjusted gross revenues) and paid to the Board by both licensed casinos and gaming house operators.

Gaming revenues collected from licensed operators are paid to the Board which is subsequently paid into the Consolidated Fund by the Secretary of the Gaming Board within the period prescribed (Refer to section 64 of the Gaming Act, 2014 and sections 60 and 192 of the Gaming House Operator Regulations and Gaming Regulations 2014, respectively).

The tax period for a license holder shall be a period of one month ending on the last day of each calendar month (Refer to sections 58 and 190 of the Gaming House Operator Regulations and Gaming Regulations 2014, respectively).

With respect to land based casinos only, a negative taxable deduction is a deduction on negative revenues experienced within a given tax period. Such deduction may be approved by the Minister responsible for gaming in whole or in part subject to such conditions as the Minister may stipulate (Refer to section 193 of the Gaming Regulations 2014).

A Domestic Player is:

1. anyone who is a citizen of the Bahamas,
2. a holder of a permanent residence certificate/permit,
3. anyone who possesses or requires a permit for gainful employment
4. or is the spouse of the preceding.

No, domestic player can only gamble in the Gaming Houses.

The legal age for gambling within the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is eighteen (18) years old.

No, tourists are not allowed to wager in Gaming Houses, only in the Casinos.

Responsible Gambling is a formulated written plan by the Licensee that provides training to its licensed key employees, consisting at a minimum, of information concerning the nature and symptoms of problem gaming behavior. Responsible Gambling also assists patrons in obtaining information about problem gaming and information on the self exclusion program, as referred to in Section 74(b) of the Gaming Regulations 2014. It also ensures that a notice informing the public of the phenomenon of compulsive or problem gaming is prominently displayed at every entrance within the premises, which provides access to any specifically demographic area where gaming takes place; and ensures the display on the licensed premises of an adequate supply of pamphlets for public reference and use, which provides information regarding the phenomenon of compulsive or problem gaming.

Any person who wishes to preclude themselves from engaging in any gaming activity may apply to be registered on a list of excluded persons in the format determined by the Board.

A person can be on the Self Exclusion List from gaming in respect of a period of one (1) year up to five (5) years or for life.

The expiration date is printed on the individual tickets. However, Slot Machine (T.I.T.O.) Tickets expire after sixty (60) days and Race/Sports Book tickets expire after one hundred and eighty days (180) from the issue date.

Yes, mobile gaming is permitted in the Casinos.