Articles:

Regulation through the Government and financial authorities (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Institutional map: who is responsible for what

The legal "axis" of the gambling market is Gambling, Lotteries and Betting Act (GLBA). It is this law that creates the Gaming Authority, which reviews applications and issues permits for land-based casinos/betting and lotteries. GLBA also enshrines procedures and permission forms.

AML/CFT financial architecture. The country has a FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit), which publishes guidelines for unregulated suppliers and DNFBP for fulfilling AML/CFT requirements. In parallel, in 2023-2024. CFATF conducted a mutual assessment of SVG, fixing the current anti-laundering system and the role of supervisory authorities.

Non-market and non-bank financial sectors (insurance, securities, trusts, etc.) are supervised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), a statutory body responsible for administering relevant laws and complying with licensing requirements in the non-bank field.

The monetary framework is provided by Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) (SVG is a member of the Union of Eastern Caribbean States), which is important for the payment infrastructure of operators and general standards of financial stability.

Tax bundle. В Income Tax Act (Cap. 435) a separate tax regime for winnings/lotteries is allocated; the act explicitly links taxation to the NLA and GLBA regimes.

What Gaming Authority does on GLBA

1. Establishes the Gaming Authority and empowers it to issue permits for betting offices, casinos and lotteries;

2. Establishes procedures and forms of applications/permits;

3. Describes offences involving illegal play and equipment;

4. Directly records that online casinos are not covered by GLBA licensing, that is, there is no separate national permit regime for online operators. This is confirmed by the mutual assessment of the CFATF (2023/2024).

Practical conclusion. Any ground operator (betting box office, hall with gaming tables) follows the trajectory of GLBA → Gaming Authority → permission/supervision. An online casino/bookmaker cannot obtain a national license under GLBA - the issue remains outside the framework of the basic law.

National Lottery: 'Official' mass product

The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) is a government lottery operator operating since 1984: it implements circulation/daily products, funding sports and culture. The lottery operates in a legal "white field" and serves as a model for public reporting and responsible play.

Financial Supervision and Compliance: FSA, FIU, ECCB

FSA: enforces and controls a "list of laws" in its area (insurance, capital markets, trusts/IBCs, etc.) by engaging with the government on licensing and compliance issues. For gambling companies, this is important if the group structure includes non-bank financial services or corporate providers under the supervision of the FSA.

FIU (AML/CFT): Publishes guides for NRSP/DNFBP (including casinos as "must-haves") - this is where practice checklists are located: KYC, transaction monitoring, record retention, staff training and escalation of suspicious transactions.

ECCB and the monetary system: the central bank of the Eastern Caribbean Union sets policy in the field of calculations and ecosystem stability EC $. For operators, this affects payment rails (cards, transfers, compliance of acquiring banks), although ECCB does not license gambling.

Taxes and consumer protection

The tax on winnings and its withholding are laid out in the Income Tax Act (Cap. 435) (including lottery prize tax provision and retention mechanism). This provides budget predictability for the "official" part of the market and transparency for players.

Age barrier and responsibility. Comparative legal reviews and AML/CFT reports for SVG enshrine a minimum age of 18 + for gambling and mandatory KYC/AML procedures for casinos and related entities.

Where are the "boundaries" of regulation today

The ground sector (betting offices, halls, lotteries) is GLBA + NLA + supervision (Gaming Authority/FIU), with understandable permissions and obligations.

Online market (iGaming outside the lottery): there is no national licensing, as confirmed in CFATF materials and profile reviews. Residents can technically use foreign sites, but without local consumer protection.

What it looks like in practice: the path of a hypothetical operator

1. Structure and fit-and-prop. Establish a company, confirm "fit & proper" directors/beneficiaries (package of corporate documents).

2. GLBA resolution. Submit an application to the Gaming Authority for the relevant type of activity (betting office, casino), attach internal control plans and hardware/software descriptions.

3. AML/CFT compliance. Develop KYC/EDD policy, monitoring procedures, personnel training, reporting format in FIU (SAR/STR).

4. Payment infrastructure. Negotiate with the acquiring bank/payment provider in the EC $ zone, observing ECCB standards and national compliance requirements.

5. Taxes and reporting. Set up deductions/Cap accounting. 435 (lottery/winning payments, corporate reporting).

"White spots" and areas of improvement

Digital mode. There is no separate chapter for online casinos/bookmakers: this reduces the level of local consumer protection and leaves a gray area in terms of disputes/payments. The update could consolidate licensing of remote services, log storage, local ODR procedure and 18 + advertising standards.

Unified register of self-exclusion. Integrating offline casino/betting and lottery into a common RG (self-exclusion) tool under state and FIU supervision would strengthen social protection.

Coordination with payment practices. Continue to work with acquiring banks and providers based on ECCB standards in order to accelerate payability and reduce transaction risks for legal operators.

In SVG, the regulatory circuit is built according to the "classics" of Caribbean law and order: GLBA + Gaming Authority manage the ground sector; The NLA is the "official" lottery; FIU and FSA provide financial compliance and control in related sectors; ECCB sets the monetary "rails." The main gap is the online segment, not covered by GLBA licensing: its closure would give consumers local protection, and the state - understandable supervision and income, without breaking the already working offline regulation system.

Reference sources: GLBA/permission forms and Gaming Authority status; mutual evaluation of CFATF (2023/2024) by AML/CFT; FIU SVG site (NRSP/DNFBP manuals) FSA SVG (mandate and supervised areas); ECCB (role in the EC $ monetary system); Income Tax Act (Cap. 435) (taxes on winnings); NLA SVG (founding 1984 and public mission).