-to employ persons from the community

The Guyana Lottery Company (GLC), on Friday, officially opened the doors to its $84 million ‘BLAST Gaming Centre’ on Mandela Avenue.

The investment will see at least 15 persons from the East Ruimveldt community being employed in various disciplines.

Present at the opening were the GLC’s General Manager, Tracey Lewis; former national player, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, and the company’s Brand Ambassador, Rawle Toney.

“This 84 million dollar facility houses a total of 35 Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) machines. We have 14 on this floor [ground floor] and 21 on the first floor, a virtual sports betting room under the Let’s Bet sports brand and really it’s a one stop shop. So if you’re here and you also want to purchase a lottery ticket for the million dollar jackpot, you can do so,” Lewis explained.

With COVID-19 protocols including maintaining social distancing in place, the facility would be able to accommodate approximately 60 persons at full capacity.

The GLC currently has 23 agents nationwide and they run their own BLAST facilities. However, the Mandela facility will be managed by the GLC, the first of a couple of stores the company intends to invest in.

Cognizant of the stereotype surrounding gambling, Lewis told this publication that the company has employed measures to ensure persons play within their limits, while having a leisure activity to indulge in.

“We want to give people something to do in the community. We did a lot of research, people wanted to have different places to go … However, I say that with a warning which is our slogan ‘know your limit, play within it’ for over 18,” Lewis said.

There are features installed in the machines to alert gamers of their usage. The machines would also give persons the option of “cashing out”.
Further, there are company protocols that would not allow persons to spend only a certain amount of time at the facilities so as to ensure they do not waste their money.

“We are very conscious about that [gambling stereotype] and very sensitive about that in these times especially. We have our own internal mechanisms to ensure persons don’t sit in here and spend all their money. This is an extra-curricular activity and we want persons to be responsible in their gaming,” Lewis added.

She later touted the facility as being “Guyanese” explaining that every purchase at the location goes back to Guyana.

“Since the launching of the Let’s Bet Sports brand, the brand has committed to giving back to Guyana. Over the years the brand has sponsored every sports discipline, being one of the largest sponsors for cricket in Berbice,” Toney said.

In paying homage to Guyanese athletes, portraits of Guyanese international cricketer Steven Jacobs and national footballer Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson were unveiled in the Let’s Bet room.