Gensan local gov’t orders closure of illegal STL outlets

GENERAL SANTOS CITY- The local government has ordered the closure of several Small Town Lottery outlets which are operating illegally in the city.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera ordered City Licensing Officer Geraldine Zamora to close down STL outlets which were established near the schools, churches and government offices around the city.
The move of the mayor was an offshoot to the expose’ of City Councilor Jeng Gacal who called for the revocation of resolution which allowed the STL operation in the city, citing several violations of the guidelines prescribed by the city government.
Gacal had earlier urged colleagues in the City Council to revoke the concurrence given by the City Council to Trento Gaming and Leisure Corp. to operate STL in the city.
Gacal cited several violations committed by the STL management including the misdeclaration of its gross income to shortchange the revenue share of the city government amounting to millions of pesos and the proliferation of at least 300 STL outlets around the city as against the allowable 110 outlets which were approved by the City Council.
Personnel of the city license division, backed by policemen, closed down at least 15 STL outlets which are operating near the schools, churches and government offices.
City License Officer Geraldine Zamora said the city government had earlier summoned representatives of Trento Gaming and Leisure Corporation to shed light on the alleged violations of the STL operations in the city but the STL operator refused to heed.
“We issued several summons to the STL operator to shed light on the violations it committed but it refused to show up in the office,” Zamora said.
She said their office will intensify the inspection on STL outlets in the city to ensure that the guidelines set by the city government pertaining to STL operations in the city are strictly followed by the Trento Gaming and Leisure Corp.
City Councilor Gacal lauded the action of the mayor to close down illegal STL outlets in the city but hinted that the city government should be more aggressive to compel the STL operator to be transparent in the declaration of its gross income wherein the city government is entitled for the three percent revenue share.
Gacal doubted the declaration of Trento Gaming Corp. that STL operation in the city only generates a daily gross income of P250,00.
Gacal stressed that with the 300 STL outlets operating around the city, Trento Gaming Corp. is supposed to be generating a P2 million gross sales daily.