The Government says it plans to modernise Jamaica's lottery scam legislation and substantially strengthen criminal penalties as part of efforts to protect the country's economic security and the wider safety of its citizens.

A statement from the Government indicated that the National Security Council, which is chaired by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and which met last Thursday, believes lottery scamming has evolved into a significant threat to Jamaica's economic security and public safety.

According to the council, lottery scamming has increased the cost of doing business, weakened Jamaica's competitiveness in an intensely price-sensitive global market, undermined investor confidence and damaged the country's reputation as a trusted destination for global digital services.