by Charles Gladden

BELMOPAN, Tues. May 13, 2025
The Belize Government Lotteries Limited generated over $100 million, said the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceno, on Monday, May 12, during the first meeting of the House of Representatives since his administration secured another term at the polls on March 12.

“For November 21, 2023, through to 30th November, 2024, the government-owned and managed Belize Government Lotteries Limited recorded sales of some $111.2 million, which was for lottery sales revenues only,” he said.

In 2023, the Government of Belize, under the Briceño administration, re-acquired the national lottery enterprise from private owners, the Caribbean Gaming Company Limited (CGCL) and Brad’s Gaming Group, into whose hands the operation had been placed during the previous UDP administration, and proceeded to form the Belize Government Lotteries Limited (BGLL).

At the time of the acquisition, it was projected that Boledo sales would gross over $70 million in its inaugural year. However, the actual revenues surpassed those projections.

PM Briceño noted, “Additional revenues were collected for device rentals and the sale of thermal paper. This was an increase of $65 million or 142%, above the sales reported by Brad’s Gaming Company for the fiscal year 2022, sixty-five million dollars more.”

And, while Boledo has generated over $100 million since its acquisition, it had a rocky start, as there had been some glitches, including a system overload due to the number of people purchasing on the first day.

The Briceño administration will be using revenue from Boledo sales to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI), through which it plans to provide affordable healthcare service to a wider swath of the Belizean population.