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Barbados vs Caribbean - comparison
Comparison with other Caribbean countries (for Barbados)
1) Barbados base frame
Offline core: Gambling, Cap. 134 (prohibition of "gaming houses," procedural rules) and Betting & Gaming, Cap. 134A (licenses for slot machines, "approved premises," charity lotteries, etc.).
Taxes and Duties: Betting & Gaming Duties Act, Cap. 60 - rates/duties, including for pool betting (including cases with an offshore promoter through a local representative).
Online casinos: there is no separate "digital" act yet (de facto gray area; details - in the profile article on prospects).
The point for comparison: Barbados is strong offline and lottery, but online lags behind the "regulatory pioneers" of the region.
2) Jamaica (British Surveillance Model)
Regulator: Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) - a statutory body of the Ministry of Finance.
The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act.
The difference from Barbados: Jamaica has long built a single "umbrella" regulator (BGLC); Barbados relies on Cap acts separated by code. 134/134A/60.
3) Dominican Republic (new online 2024)
New: in March 2024, a regime for online casinos and betting was adopted (Resolution 136-2024): licenses and rules for online are introduced.
Profile regulatory maps have already noted the formal regulation of online since 2024.
What's the difference: Dominican Republic is ahead of Barbados in online codification; Barbados still has a digital frame.
4) Trinidad and Tobago (actualization 2021 +)
Акт: Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Act №8/2021. Parts of the act have already been proclaimed; a Control Commission was established.
The difference: the country is actively "reflashing" supervision, while Barbados retains the old architecture and point updates.
5) Curacao (full online reboot)
LOK (National Ordinance on Games of Chance): entered into force on December 24, 2024; key reform of the online sector, moving away from the sub-licensing scheme to full state licensing and supervision.
Difference: Curacao is now an "exporter regulator" online with a new model; Barbados - without its own online act.
6) Antigua and Barbuda (interactive veteran)
Regulation: Regulations Concerning Interactive Gaming and Interactive Wagering - classic Interactive Gaming/Wagering License mode.
Threshold payments: guidelines for fees/tax on "net win" for interacts. licenses (approximate current prices are indicated by consultants).
Contrast: Antigua has been playing "export" online for decades; Barbados has yet to formalize this direction.
7) Bahamas (resort casinos and "web shops")
Gaming Act 2014: modern law regulating casinos, online and mobile forms for residents (web-shop gaming) and resort facilities for tourists.
Comparison: The Bahamas has long built the game into a "luxury" travel product; Barbados bets on small halls/racetrack and lottery.
8) Puerto Rico (online betting by law 2019)
Gaming Commission Act (Law 81-2019): online sports betting allowed; by 2025, mobile applications of large brands are active.
Bottom line: another example of formalized online in the region - unlike Barbados.
9) Lotteries and "community giving"
Barbados: The Barbados Lottery (operator - IGT) sends part of the proceeds to four beneficiaries: cricket, the Olympic movement, Turf Club and Nats. sports council. (This is quasi-fiscal support for sports.)
Jamaica/Dominican Republic: have developed lottery/casino markets and simultaneously codify bets/online.
Conclusion: according to the lotto → sport model, Barbados is comparable to its neighbors, but lags behind online.
10) Tourism and product format
Barbados: small halls at hotels/shopping centers, horse racing and sweepstakes; significant role of lottery and scratch cards for retail. (Legal framework - Cap. 134A/134.)
Bahamas and Dominican Republic: large resort casinos and "mass" tourism - a higher capitalization of the sector.
Curaçao/Antigua: export licenses and online operators → a different type of economic effect (B2B/B2C offshore), rather than retail coupons/halls.
11) What it means for Barbados (stakeholder squeeze)
For the state
Maintain offline strengths (Cap. 134A) and tighten online: B2C licenses, GGR reporting instead of "turnover tax," white-/black-lists providers, advertising with RG restrictions. (The Dominican 2024 and Curaçao 2024 experiences can be adapted.)
Do not lose the "social contract" of the lottery: transparent reports to the beneficiaries of sports.
For operators
Offline - emphasis on responsible play and "tourist" packages (racetrack + F&B).
When an online act appears - readiness for KYC/AML, local reporting and tech audit of RNG, as in Dominican/Curacao.
For players and tourists
In Barbados, lottery/scratchy, sweepstakes and halls are legal; online casinos without a local license are an area of increased caution. (Contrast with Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic, where online is regulated.)
12) Tabular cheat sheet
Against the background of the Caribbean, Barbados is an "offline classic" with a strong lottery and sweepstakes, but without its own online act, while Dominican Republic, Curacao, Puerto Rico are already formally regulating digital channels. Bahamas and Dominican Republic benefit from resort casinos; Antigua and Curaçao - through the export of online licenses. The strategic path of Barbados by 2030 is to maintain the social model of the lottery + carefully legalize online (GGR, KYC/AML, advertising, white-lists), relying on the fresh experience of neighbors and their own proven offline acts.