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.