Government to strengthen lottery scam laws to protect economy, cites importance of BPO sector

The Government says it plans to modernise Jamaica's lottery scam legislation and substantially strengthen criminal penalties as part of efforts to protect the country's economic security and the wider safety of its citizens.

A statement from the Government indicated that the National Security Council, which is chaired by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and which met last Thursday, believes lottery scamming has evolved into a significant threat to Jamaica's economic security and public safety.

According to the council, lottery scamming has increased the cost of doing business, weakened Jamaica's competitiveness in an intensely price-sensitive global market, undermined investor confidence and damaged the country's reputation as a trusted destination for global digital services.

It said Jamaica's Global Services Sector, more commonly known as call centres, has undergone significant structural change, with employment declining from approximately 60,000 to 40,000 workers and annual foreign exchange earnings falling to between US$700 million and US$900 million.

The council stated that the sector is one of the country's most strategic economic assets and a pillar of national economic security.

It added that despite the current pressures, the sector remains one of Jamaica's largest export industries and among the country's leading earners of foreign exchange.

As such, the council believes protecting and regrowing the industry is a national strategic priority.

To that end, the Government plans to take a tougher stance on lottery scamming.

In addition to stronger legislation, the Government said it plans to align Jamaica's legal framework with evolving international standards governing cybercrime, organised financial crime and digital fraud. It also intends to strengthen intelligence, investigations, prosecutions and asset recovery efforts against organised criminal networks.

Further, the Government plans to enhance regulatory oversight, governance and compliance across the Global Services Sector and deepen operational cooperation between the Government, regulators and industry to safeguard Jamaica's position as a secure and trusted destination for global digital services.

Holness said economic security is national security.

"The Global Services Sector is one of Jamaica's most strategic national assets. We cannot aspire to become a premier nearshore destination while tolerating organised criminal enterprises that increase the cost of doing business, undermine investor confidence and erode our competitiveness. The Government has resolved to eliminate lottery scamming and dismantle the entire criminal ecosystem that enables, facilitates and profits from it."

Meanwhile, the council also reaffirmed the Government's commitment to supporting the industry's transition into higher-value digital services, knowledge process outsourcing and AI-enabled business services to strengthen Jamaica's long-term competitiveness.

"The National Security Council reaffirmed that protecting Jamaica's national security requires safeguarding not only the country's borders and citizens, but also its economy, public health, digital environment and the resilience of its communities. The decisions taken by the council reflect the Government's integrated approach to national security, recognising that economic security, citizen security and national resilience are inseparable."

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