Pajama Billionaire to stand trial for Benz raffle

Self-taught foreign exchange trader Chavez Allen is expected to stand trial on May 3 when his case returns to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Allen, who goes by the moniker Pajama Billionaire, is to answer to the charge that he breached the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries (BGLC) Act. The charge comes after a publicised 'Benz Raffle' that was hosted by Allen in November 2020 on social media.

On the last occasion when the matter was mentioned in court, the prosecution told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague that they were awaiting a report from the Communication Forensic and Cybercrime Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The court was advised yesterday that it was available and the file was now complete. Allen is represented by Peter Champagnie Q.C., who told the court that he is ready to take the matter to trial.

"Our contention is that there is absolutely no case in this matter against Mr Allen," he submitted to the court. It is reported that on November 13, 2020, the BGLC received information that an illegal raffle was advertised by Allen on social media where a Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle, along with cash prizes, was being offered to the public.

The regulatory body conducted checks and investigations by the Licensing and Registration Division to verify if the raffle had been granted approval. The BGLC indicated that there was none. On November 15, more than 3,000 social media users tuned in to Allen's Instagram live session, where the holder of ticket 183 was announced as the winner of a Mercedes-Benz CLA-250, valued at J$5 million.

Allen, in a November 2020 article, told THE STAR that the competition, which started in June of that year, was an in-house raffle for students enrolled in his foreign exchange trading classes.

- T.T.