TLDR
- Haiti requires all gambling operators to pay licence fees and taxes only through its tax office, the DGI.
- A new national regulator, ANJHA, will oversee casinos, betting operations and borlette banks.
- The government says the goal is to fight money laundering, illicit financial flows and terrorist financing.
- Three decrees published on 21 August set out licensing rules, player protections and penalties.
- ANJHA will be based in Port-au-Prince and will publish a list of authorised operators.
Haiti now requires every gambling operator in the country to pay licence fees and taxes only through its tax administration. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said all payments must go through the Direction Générale des Impôts, known as the DGI.
The rule comes with the creation of a new national gambling regulator. The body is called the Autorité Nationale des Jeux de Hasard et d’Argent, or ANJHA.
The ministry announced the regulator in a notice issued on 5 October. ANJHA will regulate, monitor and supervise gambling across the country. The notice set out how the new system will work for operators.
One Channel for Every Payment
Under the new rules, the DGI is Haiti’s only authorised body for collecting taxes, duties, fees and other amounts due. Gambling operators cannot pay these sums through any other route.
Payments for licences, authorisations and other obligations must use official DGI channels. Each payment must also be backed by a receipt, the ministry said. The receipts serve as proof that an operator has met its obligations.
The ministry said the goal is to fight money laundering, illicit financial flows and terrorist financing. It also said the reform should bring “more order, transparency and security” to the sector. Sending all payments through one state body is meant to make the money easier to track.
The rules cover a wide range of businesses. These include casinos, betting operations and borlette banks, which run a popular local lottery game.
ANJHA will be based in Port-au-Prince, the capital. It also has the power to open offices in other locations.
The regulator’s duties include publishing a list of authorised operators. It must also promote responsible gambling and make sure operators follow the new rules. The public list will show which businesses are allowed to operate.
Three Decrees Behind the Reform
The changes rest on three decrees published in Haiti’s official journal, Le Moniteur, on 21 August. Le Moniteur is where Haiti publishes its laws and official acts.
The decrees set up ANJHA and introduced operating rules for the industry. They also created a tax regime made just for gambling.
The measures include licensing rules and operating requirements. They also add protections for players and minors. These protections are part of the standards that licensed businesses must meet.
The decrees contain measures against money laundering as well. Operators that do not comply face penalties under the new framework. These penalties sit alongside the licensing rules.
The government had discussed a dedicated gambling authority for some time. It had also looked at tax rules aimed only at the sector. Those plans moved forward this year.
Draft proposals were presented at a Council of Ministers meeting on 11 August. The decrees were published 10 days later. The ministry then announced ANJHA in its 5 October notice.
Operators are expected to receive guidance from the DGI on how licence and tax payments must be submitted and receipted. Under the ministry’s rule, all such payments must go through the tax office alone.
