Africa-Press – Liberia. Monrovia — The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) has been accused of breaching its regulations by granting a license RS Multiplex in the Airfield community to operate a casino.
Documents in the possession of FrontPageAfrica show that the NLA in violation of four-mile radius rule issued the license – something that has caused agitation among existing casinos within the said radius.
Neved Kortu inquiring about a purported license being issued to RS Multiplex in the Airfield Shortcut area at premises once occupied by Panache Restaurant and Celavi night club.
RS Multiplex is owned by Monrovia Breweries (Club Beer) former General Manager, Nelson Oniyama who also owns Riverside Casino located in Bushrod Island.
In the letter, the law firm pointed out to the Acting DG the illegality of issuing the license and referencing the NLA Regulations and its Amendment stipulating that all Casinos remain a radius of 4 miles apart.
FrontPageAfrica gathered that RS Multiplex wrote a letter and attached their application to the NLA requesting to operate a casino at a branch of their existing business located at the old Déjà Vu night club at Airfield Shortcut in late February – an area already determined by the Ministry of Public Works as being within the 4 miles radius of another casino.
“Public Works determined a few years ago that the distance between Mamba Point’s casino and Palm Spring’s casino is less than 8 miles, the distance between Mamba Point’s casino and the night club is less than 4 miles as well as the distance between the night club and Palm Spring’s casino.
It’s on record and we had to deny a previous request a few years ago for the same vicinity when Public Works submitted their findings,” a source within the NLA told FrontPageAfrica.
Déjà vu and Celavi night clubs as well as Panache Restaurant were all once located on the same premises. Interestingly, the area which was once deemed to be within the radius of Palm Spring Casino was changed recently by the Ministry of Public Works, according to the NLA source.
The source said there were three independent survey including Google which contradicts the Ministry of Public Works. The license was also reportedly granted in the absence of a board meeting which is also a requirement under the NLA regulation.
The NLA Act (2015) Section 20.1 states “The Board shall meet at least once every three months for the dispatch of business in the Board Room at the head office of the Authority at a time determined by the chairperson”.
The Act goes on to state that the Chairperson may convene a special meeting outside of the head office but the date, time and place must be approved by two-thirds of the Board which has not happened according to our source.
Part II of the Gaming Regulation 001 states that the Authority must submit a recommendation to the Board for an Application that meets the criteria, and the Board must review and approve the application before a license can be granted.
NLA 2015 states that matters before the Board shall be decided by a simple majority, and in accordance with the Gamming Regulation, those matters are to include the review of each recommendation for a new license.
If the Board has not met in over a year, any new license granted since the Board last convened should be deemed invalid. The source stated that when he asked someone in senior management about the RS Multiplex license, they allegedly told him that the 2017 Amendment to Regulation 001 allows for casinos to be 2 miles apart.
The 2017 Amendment, 1.2 Scope and Application of Regulation it clearly states that “This Amendment to NLA Gaming Regulation 001 covers positioning of Gaming Machine Licenses in zones where Casinos are located, eligibility of sports betting license as a Gaming Machine, and authorized number of Sports Betting Licenses that may be granted by the Authority.
” The Amendment goes on to state that “Section 5.2.2.
(c) reads thus: “Premises located within four (4) miles of a Casino; or” is hereby amended as follows: “Premises located within a two (2) miles radius of a Casino; or”. When you place the amendment as stated above to the referenced Section 5 GAMING MACHINE of the GAMING REGULATION 001, 5.2.
Approved location for Gaming Machine, 5.2.2(c) would read: “an application for a license shall be denied if the place or location for which the license is sought is unsuitable for the conduct of gaming operations.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following places are deemed unsuitable: Premises located within two (2) miles of a Casino; or. ”
The law, including all the amendments, is undoubtedly stating that Gaming Machines are to be located no less than two (2) miles apart from casinos and casinos are to be located no less than four (4) miles apart from each other.
Section 2.2.3(a) which states that “An application for a casino license shall be denied if the place or location for which the license is sought is unsuitable for the conduct of gaming operations.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following places or locations are deemed unsuitable: Premises located within the immediate vicinity of religious institutions, schools, and hospitals; or” and realized that while driving to and from our offices through Airfield Shortcut that clusters of children from the Light International School frequently gather in groups directly in front or right near the entrance to the proposed RS Multiplex casino.
