‘Smiling bandits’ robbing citizens

Funding for sport, infrastructure programmes etc are scarce.

Yet a major source of funding is funnelled in open glare, with no intervention by the law enforcement agency that has the power to act.

If my memory serves me correctly, when the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) was formed and introduced the online games, Play-Whe, Lotto and Cash- Pot, the profits derived from these games were supposed to support our sporting endeavours.

Yet today there is a proliferation of illegal outfits, parasiting on the official game, offering larger returns to the public via the Play- Whe game: 30-1, 33-1, 34-1, 35-1.

At particular restaurants, grocery stores, casinos, these illegal agents flourish (crime with a smile).

Why is no action taken against these operatives? Is it that they are close to or associated in some way to the powers that be? There are restaurants that have scaled back their food operations and use the space for casinos and Play-Whe betting. It has surely proven itself more lucrative than selling cloth.

What has been the NLCB’s response? Numerous promotions, gold ball, mega ball etc. Are the illegal operatives untouchable? Citizens are being robbed by the millions of dollars being raked in by these “smiling bandits” with their lure of higher payments.

It would be interesting to find out the profits that the NLCB has reaped since its inception. How much of that profit has been channelled into sport and its development.

In these days of diminishing revenue and high crime, it is time to crack down on these “smiling bandits” and allow the revenue that should be channelled into sport be returned to the people of TT . Remember when the whewhe turf used to be raided? Time to shut down these “criminals with a smile”. Over to you, Mr Police Commissioner.

Let’s hope that these people are really not untouchable and the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Sport, the Prime Minister and the Police Service deal with this and put a dent to a serious crime.

CLIVE GRAHAM Petit Bourg