The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) of Trinidad and Tobago has announced a significant policy shift that will permit gambling operations on Sundays starting February 8, marking a departure from the country’s longstanding tradition of restricting gaming activities on the Sabbath. The decision, published in a January 2 legal notice, includes modified draw times and maintains the suspension of gaming on religious public holidays.
The NLCB justifies this expansion as a business development strategy, noting that Trinidad and Tobago remains the only Caribbean nation without Sunday gambling. The board emphasizes that lottery facilities will provide utility bill payment services and other non-gambling transactions alongside gaming options, attempting to balance convenience with cultural sensitivity.
This policy change has sparked substantial opposition from religious organizations and industry stakeholders alike. The Trinidad and Tobago Council of Evangelical Churches issued a strong condemnation, arguing that Sunday gambling exacerbates addiction risks and undermines societal moral foundations. Meanwhile, the Electronic Lotto Agents Association expressed practical concerns about increased operational costs, potential security risks, and uncertain financial returns from the additional operating day.
Notably, the decision appears to have been made without comprehensive stakeholder consultation. Dave Persad, president of the Online Gaming Agents Association, revealed that industry representatives learned about the policy change through social media and have been unable to secure meetings with the NLCB board appointed in July.
The move occurs within Trinidad and Tobago’s unique gambling landscape, where petroleum revenues have historically reduced the economic pressure to expand gaming tourism that many neighboring Caribbean nations have embraced. The country’s gambling sector exists in a complex regulatory space between privately licensed operators and state-sanctioned games overseen by the NLCB.