ACCORDING TO THE gambling laws of Liberia, only four casino licenses can be issued in the Republic of Liberia, and they must be situated in approved locations. The law further states that the license is granted for a particular casino on an approved location and site, and is not transferrable to another branch or location.
THE LAW IS clear that a casino license application shall be denied if the place for which the license is sought is unsuitable for the conduct of gambling operation. It further states that no casino should operate in the vicinity of religious institutions, schools and hospitals. It also prohibits casino from being in the location of private homes and residents, or located in a place where gambling is prohibited due to the valid zoning ordinance.
AS CLEAR AS the gambling laws are, the Director of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Neved Kortu, for reasons known to him and his Board, which includes the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Jewel Howard Taylor, has, without any remorse, opted to violate and break the gambling laws by approving two casino licenses in areas deemed unsuitable for the operation of gambling activities.
ONE OF THE two communities earmarked for the gambling sites hosts the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial Hospital, Len Miller, Apostolic Foundation, A.M. Fofana and Liberia Islamic Unity Foundation schools, the Unity Mosque and Apostolic church, in addition to it being far less than the four miles from another casino. The other site is located near a playground, a few elementary and junior high schools and two churches and a modern hospital.
THE GAMBLING LAWS are transparently clear that the license authority can only issue four licenses in the Republic of Liberia, and licenses are not transferrable. The four gambling licenses have already been approved and issued to the Mamba Point Hotel, downtown Monrovia; Farmington Hotel, Harbel, Maigibi County; Riverside Hotel, Virginia; and the Palm Spring Hotel, Congo Town, outskirts of Monrovia.THE INVESTIGATION REVEALS that the NLA is poised to give out the licenses, as they have apparently solicited huge bribes from those wanting the licenses. NLA Director Kortu confirmed to the Hot Pepper that they have received application for gambling licenses and that they are carrying out due diligence before they can make final decision on the matter. He however insinuated that other licenses granted by past NLA leaders do not conform to the laws of the land; as such, the laws need to be revisited before they can be fully implemented.