Haiti creates national gambling authority ANJHA and routes operator payments through tax administration
Haiti's Ministry of Economy and Finance has announced a new national gambling regulator, ANJHA, and told operators to pay all taxes and licensing fees only through the tax administration, the DGI.
GamblingSource: iGaming Business
Haiti has set up a national authority to oversee its gambling sector and has ordered operators to make all tax, licensing and related payments solely through the country's tax administration.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced the creation of the Autorité nationale des jeux de hasard et d'argent, known as ANJHA, in a public notice dated 5 October. The body will regulate, monitor and supervise gambling across the country, a remit that covers casinos, betting and borlette banks.
According to the ministry, the reform is intended to fight money laundering, illicit financial flows and terrorist financing. Officials also say it should bring "more order, transparency and security" to the industry.
The legal basis comes from three decrees published in the official journal, Le Moniteur, on 21 August. They created the regulator, laid down operating rules and introduced a tax regime specific to gambling. The provisions deal with licensing, the obligations placed on operators, protections for minors and players, anti-money-laundering controls and penalties for breaches. Draft proposals had been considered by the Council of Ministers on 11 August, following earlier government discussions on a national gambling authority and dedicated tax rules.
Under the decrees, ANJHA will be based in Port-au-Prince, with the option of opening offices in other locations. Its duties include publishing a list of authorised operators, raising awareness of responsible gaming and ensuring compliance with the rules.
On payments, operators have been told to use the Direction générale des impôts, the only administration authorised to collect taxes, duties, fees and other sums due under the new framework. The ministry said payments, including those for licences and authorisations, must go through official DGI channels and be backed by a receipt. The tax administration described its own role as managing fiscal obligations.
The government presents the overhaul as part of a broader effort to improve transparency and reduce financial crime, placing ANJHA at the centre of licensing, player safeguards and financial controls in the sector.
Based on reporting by iGaming Business.