THOUGH it has no license to operate, SUPERBET, through its Attorney Anil Nandlall, is contending that it is in full compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Legislation.

According to the gaming entity, it has submitted all of the documents requested by the Guyana Gaming Authority (GGA) in an attempt to acquire a Certificate of Good Standing and a Licence. While it took umbrage to a statement emanating out of the Attorney General’s Chambers on Wednesday that it should face the full force of the law for operating without a licence, SUPERBET did not deny not having a valid licence on Thursday.

In its defence, the gaming entity said early last year some of its agents and an attorney attended a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Gaming Authority, Lloyd Moore. “During that meeting, it was explained that certain documentary evidence must be provided in order to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing. We were further instructed that in order for our licence to be renewed, the Gaming Authority must issue the Certificate of Good Standing,” SUPERBET explained through its attorney.

According to the gaming entity, on September 14, 2018, it submitted all documents requested by the Gaming Authority in support of its application for Letter and Certificate of Good Standing. “Our client was never informed by Gaming Authority or accused of being in breach of any AML/CFT Legislation. In fact, Gaming Authority never contacted us or our client to request any further information or query any discrepancies in the application and its supporting documents,” Nandlall contended.

He said six months after the application for Letter or Certificate of Good Standing was submitted, the General Manager of SUPERBET, Shrikant Kisoensingh received a letter from Moore inviting him to another meeting on February 19, 2019, to discuss the revised application process for Good Standing Certification and Gaming Authority’s requirements in supervising the Company’s responsibilities as a gaming entity under AML/CFT Act. “At this meeting, General Manager of SUPERBET was informed that in the future, the Application for Certificate of Good Standing will require the submission of more supporting documents. However, again at that meeting, we were never informed or alerted to any non-compliance with AML/CFT legislation. We were further informed that SUPERBET’s Application for Letter or Certificate of Good Standing was being processed and the processing of an Application for Certificate of Good Standing takes six (6) to eighteen (18) months,” SUPERBBET explained.

It said in addition to submitting documents in support of the application for Certificate of Good Standing, it also submits a monthly Betting Shop Threshold Transaction Report to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and a Quarterly Terrorist Property Report to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

“We maintain most resolutely that our client is not in breach of any Laws of Guyana including the AML/CFT legislation and in any event SUPERBET has not been informed by any of the relevant agencies that they are in violation of any law or regulation,” Nandlall said. When Guyana Chronicle contacted Chairman of the Gaming Attorney, Roysdale Forde, he declined to comment on the issue, saying that all questions regarding the issue should be directed to the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs’ National Coordinating Committee stated that SUPERBET has been operating without a licence. During its statutory meeting last month, it agreed that measures should be taken to ensure SUPERBET faces the full force of the law.

The National Coordinating Committee is duty bound to ensure that all reporting entities become compliant with the AML/CFT legislation even as Guyana gears up for another round of mutual evaluation by Financial Action Task Force (FATF).