BRADS and G.O.B to Court

John Briceño

Brads Gaming Company Limited is challenging the Government of Belize over a recent amendment to the Lotteries Control Regulations which legislates a twelve point five percent tax on boledo, lottery, and jackpot. PM Briceño reasons that the new tax will see the government collect millions of dollars in revenue. He criticized the former administration for not seeking to collect these taxes, and as a result forgoing millions in potential tax revenue. The first hearing before the Supreme Court was held on Monday, and today we asked PM Briceño to weigh in on the legal battle. 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I believe that the Boledo/ lottery was a sweetheart deal and everybody could have predicted who have gotten that contract in 2020. As we have been going through that agreement we have noticed that the government and people of Belize are foregoing millions of dollars in taxes. It is to right for a small group of people to be able to get away with that. We are estimating that the twelve and a half percent tax which is what everybody is paying we would be able to collect an additional six million dollars. Image you we gave up six million dollars to Brads and to other people who are connected to the former Prime Minister. The question is why is the former Prime Minister defending this case? Why is it that his son Anwar Barrow is paying so much attention to this case that he logs on to the first hearing of that case. So, we know that we are doing the right thing. We believe that everybody should be paying their taxes, because with the taxes we help our young people, health, fighting COVID, investing in Belize. So we are convinced we are doing the right thing.”