Police calls for tax on sports betting to fund pensions
- The San Juan Daily Star
- Jul 21, 2024
- 2 min read
The president of the Association of Members of the Puerto Rico Police said the Legislature should tax bets made online, mini casinos on horse racing agencies, and on Sports Betting Centers.
By The STAR STAFF
The president of the Association of Members of the Puerto Rico Police, José J. Taboada de Jesús, said Sunday he will ask the incoming Legislature in January 2025 for legislation that would impose a tax on the operation and plays of the Electronic Video and Gaming Machine System that operates in the Hipódromo Camarero to help finance police pensions.
He also said the Legislature should tax bets made online (eSports - many of these prizes are not reported on the winner’s return), on mini casinos on horse racing agencies, and on Sports Betting Centers.
In a meeting with the executive director of the Gaming and Betting Commission of the Government of Puerto Rico, Carlos Santaella Marchan, he said he learned about the “scandal of great proportions”.
He said the Government and the Legislature allow the operation of some 5,000 electronic gaming machines dispersed throughout the island that generate millions in revenue but do not contribute a single cent to the public treasury.
“All of this was endorsed and supervised by the Government of Puerto Rico itself and the Financial Oversight and Management Board. After learning this information, the Puerto Rico Police called for contributions of no less than 20% on all operations generated by betting machines at the Hipodromo, mini-casinos in horse racing agencies, electronic gaming machines, and Sports Betting Centers. We call on the Fiscal Control Board to design a recovery method through the imposition of a contribution to this operation of a private company that becomes richer every day by claiming incentives and evading its tax liability through the use of well-known lobbyists,” he said.
“In the same way that a contribution was imposed on the operators of video game machines to help put money in the Pension Fund for the Police, it is also necessary that the multiple operations of the Hipodromo contribute substantially to stabilize the precarious Pension Fund for the Police,” he said.
Whether you’re a sports fan or simply believe in supporting those who’ve kept our communities safe, this conversation is one worth following. For a deeper dive into related civic issues, visit https://www.beniceorleavethanks.com/. In a bold proposal aimed at securing the future of law enforcement retirees, police unions across the country are calling for a dedicated tax on sports betting to fund underfinanced pension plans. As sports betting continues to surge in popularity—and profitability—police representatives argue it's only fair that some of this revenue supports those who serve and protect.
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