The formula sought by Carlos Bruce, president of the Peru’s Congress Overseas Trade Commission, to increase the collection of casino and slot machine operation taxes is simple, just as simple as the original cause of the irregularities in the Peruvian gaming industry.
The regulations do not need ‘relaxing’ as the politician states, but the unconstitutional and confiscatory laws do need correcting.
Everyone in Peru knows the mechanism by which certain gaming operators go through the courts to obtain favourable rulings that allow their businesses to avoid paying gaming tax. It was the last administration that caused chaos in the gaming industry and now Congressman Bruce, ex minister from that discredited administration, says he has the recipe for correcting its ills.
Bruce commented, “It is necessary to remove the causes that prompt these habeas corpus actions in the courts, so the casinos that opened under the original law have additional time to adapt to the exigencies of the new laws. This is the only way of maintaining oversight and increasing tax revenue.”
A constitutional lawyer has said that it is possible to correct the laws and regulations to include all gaming operators under the original gaming laws that brought investment. The legislation enacted in 1992, 1993 and 1994 created a sector in the country where recourse to the courts for habeas corpus rulings did not exist, and gaming taxes were paid.
The idea mentioned by the constitutional lawyer and proposed by Bruce would eliminate the later laws and regulations passed on the whims of politicians, leaving market forces and the original investment-promoting gaming laws to clean up an industry that at present is open to a variety of abuses, including the trafficking of judicial measures to ‘franchise’ businesses to third parties. It is up to all the bodies responsible to take the initiative.
The decrees and laws passed more than a decade ago are similar to those existing in Colombia, where regulators keep things uncomplicated and authorize gaming operations without the convoluted bureaucracy involved in Peru that is mocked by questionable judicial measures. Whilst the gaming and tourism industries in Colombia show steady growth, unscrupulous politicians and gaming operators in Peru continue to benefit at the cost of the country and doubtless laugh all the way to the bank.
Will the plans for Russia's 'remote' gaming areas go ahead as the State Duma has described?
- 24 - 26 August, 2008
Australasian Gaming Expo - Australia - 24 - 26 September, 2008
FER-Interazar 2008 - Spain - 30 September - 02 October, 2008
Balkan Entertainment & Gaming Expo - Bulgaria - 01 - 02 October, 2008
Preview 2009 - UK - 22 - 23 October, 2008
The Betting Show 2008 - UK - 17 - 20 November, 2008
Global Gaming Expo - USA - 27 - 29 January, 2009
International Casino Exhibition 2009 - UK
