Sportsbook Employees Hit Out At Costa Rican Banks

by Carla Johnson, Investors Offshore.com

18 March 2003

Costa Rican sportsbook employees have been protesting at the unfair treatment which they feel is being meted out to their employers by the jurisdiction's banks and government, according to a report from local news service, AM Costa Rica.

The news service revealed that following last week's refusal by banks to open accounts for the processing of bets generated by the online betting houses, a group of 1,880 sportsbook employees took out an advertisement in La Nacion on Sunday, warning of the likely consequences if the the government continues to treat the country's 150 to 200 online betting operators in this way.

In addition to cracking down on sportsbooks over money laundering concerns, the Costa Rican authorities are making them a target for the ongoing revenue-raising drive; the National Assembly recently approved a plan to impose an annual license fee on the organisations.

According to AM Costa Rica:

'The employees say sportsbook operators may leave Costa Rica and go to other countries. The employees say this will have grave effects on the economy and affect the many students, for example, who are paying for their education through work in sportsbooks.'

'The advertisement poses the question: Is this government prepared to assume the responsibility of the 6,000 employees and their good salaries?'

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