Dominican Lottery Proposes Major Staff Cuts
The new director of the Dominican Lottery (Lotería Nacional), Teófilo José Abrahán (Quico) Tabar has suggested the lottery’s staff be reduced to 30% of its current payroll. That would bring the number of permanent lottery employees in the country from 2,126 to 638.
The Dominican Lottery (Lotería Nacional) faces severe staff cuts under new director Teófilo Tabar. © Emiliano Vittoriosi/Unsplash
While Tabar argues that the national lottery can continue to function with a stripped down staff and that this change would mostly affect the maintenance divisions, the effects might be more far-reaching. The Dominican Lottery currently operates across 12 offices with 30 departments. Effected employees would likely include receptionists, assistants, stewardship employees, general services employees, and possibly also contracted personnel.
Tabar, who started his role after the previous lottery director was suspended amidst fraud allegations, has a mission to reduce overhead and sell tickets. The lottery could do so by reducing the number of hires whose pay costs taxpayers a total of RD$39.4 million per month, with the majority being 1,375 permanent employees.
Former Lottery Employees Speak Out
However the Lotería Nacional has already been under fire for letting go numerous employees during the initial Covid-19 outbreak without fair renumeration. These employees were released from their positions in August 2020 and met again in March 2021 to protest against the lottery and government.
According to Dominican Law 41-08, it is required that the lottery pay these employees severance within 90 days of their termination. The terminated employees assert that they have not yet been paid.
These former employees told local news outlet CDN:
“Violations of the law and abuse against employees that were fired by the national lottery don’t start here. We had to wait 45 days for the entity to deliver the labour certification that the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP) requires to plan and calculate our benefits.”
Protests have continued into the spring, including a demonstration by 22 former employees who are blind, and were laid off without adequate support.
Former Director Sentenced in Fraud Investigation
All of the measures taken by current director Teófilo Tabar, who stepped into the role a little over a month ago, are in some way a response to allegations of fraud that have plagued the national lottery.
The former administrator Luis Maisichell Dicent has now officially been given one year of preventive detention for his alleged involvement. The fraudulent draw in question occurred on May 1, 2021.
The incident came to light when a leaked video shows the TV host hiding a number 13 ball during the lotto draw. It was handed to her by another party who has since admitted to being offered at bribe of RD$800,000 to rig the game.
This has brought further attention to embezzling claims, wherein alleged mafia have embezzled more than RD$100.0 million from lottery-associated betting parlors.
Also under fire are William Rosario, former president of the National Federation of Lottery Banks (Fenabanca), and Eladio Batista, who will also serve a similar sentence. Dicent continues to fight the allegations and maintain his innocence.
Gambling Under Pressure in Dominican Republic
The Covid-19 pandemic has put the entire gambling system of the Dominican Republic under pressure, as it forced casinos to close for five months in 2020 as well. Casinos finally reopened from August 24, 2020 for not only local but also international guests.
The move, which happened in the midst of a continued lockdown, was mostly out of desperate financial need. According to David Moniz, the Dominican Republic Casino Association president, the country’s 56 casinos typically generate revenue of over $1.2 million (USD) per year for the country. They also contribute millions to the country’s tourism sector.
Likewise, the Lotería Nacional is trying to find new ways to generate revenue, including a recent release of lottery scratcher tickets, which will serve as an alternative to the traditional bi-monthly lottery draw.
