The Casino Gaming Commission (CGC) is enhancing its training for regulators to effectively oversee casino operations in Jamaica, focusing on understanding games like roulette and blackjack. This initiative comes as Jamaica prepares to launch its first licensed casino under the Casino Gaming Act, 2010.
Shainee Myles, the Director of Human Resources and Administration at the CGC, highlighted the necessity of establishing a level of expertise that meets international standards. She stated, “One of the first things that we needed to do was to establish what the requirement is for that First World standard, and we had to work closely with the operational team to also understand what the training gaps are and the type of people that we need.”
The CGC recognized that simply relying on existing knowledge from Jamaica’s gaming environment would not suffice due to the specialized nature of casino regulation. Myles explained, “A lot of the expertise does not reside locally in Jamaica so we had to create these persons. We partnered with overseas bodies and also looked keenly on what other international regulators are doing so that they can effectively manage the sector, and we identified several training opportunities that are needed.”
As part of its preparation, the CGC granted Jamaica’s first casino operator’s license to Adamas Grand Casino Limited on July 29. This casino is set to operate at the Princess Grand Jamaica Resort in Green Island, Hanover, under a management agreement with the Spanish gaming and hospitality entity Grupo Orenes.
Myles noted that the commission has already completed training in table games and slot machines, with ongoing investigations training and plans for further practical exposure. Understanding the mechanics of the games is crucial for effective regulation. She stated, “They need to understand how a roulette is played, how a blackjack is played, and also identifying when cheating is happening. You’ll have people coming in who know what they’re doing so we cannot sit and say we don’t know as yet — we have to know as well.”
In addition to practical training, the CGC has launched an online academy that provides staff and partner agencies access to specialized regulatory courses. These courses cover areas such as surveillance, risk management, and anti-money laundering. Myles emphasized the importance of distributing knowledge across the organization to prevent it from being concentrated in a few individuals.
She stated, “The Casino Gaming Commission is ready to regulate that difficult sector. It’s going to be done through continuous development as well of our people and upskilling them, and also continuous learning and institutionalizing that knowledge, because it cannot reside in a single individual.”
The academy currently offers 29 courses and aims to enhance the capabilities of agencies that will collaborate with the CGC, including Customs, the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC), and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA). Myles explained, “If there’s an investigation, if there are machines coming in, they need to know what to look for and how they can be a part of what is happening.”
This emphasis on training is part of a broader effort by the CGC to establish a regulatory system for a sector that is new to Jamaica in its full casino form. While Jamaica has had gaming lounges regulated by the BGLC, these establishments do not qualify as casinos in the legal sense. Gaming lounges typically offer gaming machines, whereas a CGC-licensed casino can provide full casino gaming, including live table games and gaming machines.
Casino gaming is also restricted to approved integrated resort developments (IRDs), linking it to larger tourism projects that include hotels and other amenities. The CGC’s regulatory framework was finalized with the Casino Gaming (General) Regulations, 2025, which outline detailed requirements for licensing, management qualifications, record keeping, inspection, enforcement, and responsible gaming. The House of Representatives approved these regulations in February 2026, and the Senate affirmed them on April 17, completing the legal framework for licensing.
Source: jamaicaobserver.com
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