[milwaukee mike]

well, technically, "call centers".

strange that nobody has been discussing it and the impact on the sportsbook industry and costa rica economy

http://www.costaricantimes.com/casin...osta-rica/9190

[milwaukee mike]

even if you have 2 employees it looks like you have to pay "57 base salaries" as a tax? that's about $40,000/year and could very well be the difference between survival and non-survival (or staying vs moving) for a lot of books.

Costa Rica sportsbooks to pay new taxes

Sportsbooks will pay a new annual tax calculated on the number of people they employ in the betting call center.The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, looking to raise money to invest in public infrastructures and to combat crime, approved a new tax for land based casinos as well as call centers of online sportsbooks.
Costa Rica casinos will pay 10% of their net profits, while for betting call centers the new tax will vary depending on the number of people they employ.
Up to 50 employees, the tax will correspond to fifty-seven base salaries; from 51 to 99 employees, the tax will correspond to eighty-five base salaries; 100 or more employees, the tax will correspond to one hundred-thirteen base salaries.
Betting call centers are identified as all those enterprises engaged in the receipt and processing of electronic bets.
According to a persons familiar with the Costa Rica gambling industry, the new tax will lead to layoffs, in particular among pay-per-head bookmakers and service providers.

[Cuse0323]

Interesting, more bumble gum books to fall in the near future...I wouldn't trust a dime anywhere there anymore.

[pavyracer]

I wonder if SBR's taxes will increase too since they operate a points book from CR.

[Darkside Magick]

U.S. government help Costa Rica government with implementation of the tax.

[milwaukee mike]

I wonder if SBR's taxes will increase too since they operate a points book from CR.

it applies if they qualify as "all those enterprises engaged in the receipt and processing of electronic bets".

that would be more of a legal question for justin7 if he was still here

[chino08]

Not my area of expertise....
but do you guys think more books will move to Panama because of this?

[Conan]

not any kind of expert but seams this will bring down small fly by night books and larger sable books may lay off employees as needed to adjust there tax bracket.

[Darkside Magick]

[QUOTE=chino08;17415356]Not my area of expertise....
but do you guys think more books will move to Panama because of this?[/
QUOTE]

I think you need to be licensed in Panama...so many of shady CR books not going there

[milwaukee mike]

not any kind of expert but seams this will bring down small fly by night books and larger sable books may lay off employees as needed to adjust there tax bracket.

tax is the same for everyone under 50 employees so it would make sense to merge smaller operations

[touchback]

Hahahah, you guyss gotta understand how CR works... or doesn´t. They put new laws up every year and they are always under a period of review and basically non enforceable... and always end up having disagreement between numerous government interests so nothing ever gets done and if it does it is a long time coming. Like any lawsuit, takes eventually six years on average to get anywhere and by that time there is nothing to be had. Only thing fast is restraining orders, alimony, pensions-alimony, and child support enforcement, completely matriarchal society... bad for men and especially bad for foreign men. Can end up in jail quicker than sh1t over a womans word or lie, usually lie and judgements are encouraged by legislature and usually end in favor of the female. I heard of men getting slapped with 1 to 2 thousand dollar child support judgements for 1yr kids and their monthly income is only 10% above the judgement. They are immediately barred from exit and have to put up a minumum of 13 months of the monthly judgement for release. You dont pay on time you go to jail, period... blablabla... lots of this type of legislation. Same for books which the legislation does not exist and the callcenter deal is bullsh1t too, how do they know how many employes anyone really has, and many positions are seasonal and also take into account corruption. All major service operators know a day or two before any authorities are scheduled to show up on site and just tell certain staff to take the day off. Only real taxes paid are for CR employees and of course they have a legal Xmas bonus of one month additional pay in December by law. You are talking about a country that has basically no home postal delivery or addresses because the locals figured out that if you don´t completely finish your house you did not have to pay the taxes, so seeing rebar sticking up on top floors and or walls was common but they were not issued an offciall address, so everyone has post office boxes. Giving directions is using a main road turning at a store making a left were there is a tree and when you see the brown spotted dog that is the house with the red car out front. You getting the picture. Traffic tickets are generally paid on the spot for the going rate of twenty bucks... real clear now right.

[Fishhead]

This will be the last straw for some CR books after this dreadful football season.


Be careful out there folks

[GamblerSpirit]

Is gambling and operating a sportsbook even legal in CR? I think it's an unregulated field.

[Conan]

tax is the same for everyone under 50 employees so it would make sense to merge smaller operations

also viable for those looking to set up legit books

[yisman]

Giving directions is using a main road turning at a store making a left were there is a tree and when you see the brown spotted dog that is the house with the red car out front. You getting the picture. Traffic tickets are generally paid on the spot for the going rate of twenty bucks... real clear now right.

I heard about this some time ago from someone who was there. If you're a foreigner, getting directions is crazy.

San Jose is finally installing some street signs.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - San Jose, Costa Rica, unveiled plans on Thursday to install its first street signs, so residents will not have to cite local landmarks like fast-food chains or gas stations when giving directions.
Municipal workers will install about 22,000 signs and plaques on street corners in the city, home to 1.4 million people, where the current informal system is tolerated by residents, but creates headaches for visitors and the post office.
"My current home address is 200 meters north of the Pizza Hut then 400 meters west, but in a few months, I will be able to give a proper street name and a number," San Jose Mayor Johnny Araya said during a ceremony where the first street sign was placed.
Other popular landmarks residents use to describe how to get somewhere include the McDonald's restaurant chain, former President and Nobel Prize-winner Oscar Arias' house, a famous fig tree that has long since died and the site of an old cattle shed turned gas station.

[wtt0315]

wtf is your avatar? its like a green llama with duck lips

I heard about this some time ago from someone who was there. If you're a foreigner, getting directions is crazy.

San Jose is finally installing some street signs.

[Russian Rocket]

5Ds Tony doesn't give a fukk

[chilidog]

Ahh I love this country. The government threw this law out originally thinking that they could get a cut of the sportsbooks money. Come to find out, there are no sportsbooks here, just "customer support call centers". No money is here. The industry isn't regulated as is, good lucking collecting any additional taxes.

BTW, the government has been collecting a yearly fee from these "sportsbooks" for years now, based on the number of computers/stations they have.

[Mr. Jones]

This will be the last straw for some CR books after this dreadful football season.


Be careful out there folks

Good call. Excellent past post post sir. Just kidding....always good advice.

[TheCentaur]

This will be the last straw for some CR books after this dreadful football season.


Be careful out there folks

Which ones in your opinion?

[princecharles]

What!?!?!

Costa Rica has laws?
And a 'Legistlature'?!

Get the f**k outta here

[ABEHONEST]

I heard about this some time ago from someone who was there. If you're a foreigner, getting directions is crazy.

San Jose is finally installing some street signs.

What gamblers on here would ever want to go there now? Geez.................second time around for me on this one way Farris-Wheel. I'm finished until that hellhole comes completely clean.