Online gambling operators in the Bahamas have begun laying off staff as the government shows no signs of budging on its plans to dramatically hike gaming taxes.

On Wednesday, the Bahamas Tribune reported that local ‘web shop’ operator A Sure Win had announced the closure of 11 of its venues, which offer access to online lottery and casino games via computer terminals. The closures, which will happen at the end of the month, will result in around 50 staffers losing their jobs.

A Sure Win issued a statement blaming the closures on the government’s recent decision to dramatically hike gaming taxes. A Sure Win said its tax burden had gone up 82%, forcing the operator to make some “fundamental business decisions concerning the future sustainability of our operations.

There are seven licensed web shop operators and the Bahamas Gaming Operators Association (BGOA) has warned that the tax hikes could result in the closure of nearly 200 shops and around 2,000 staff layoffs. The government justified the tax hike by claiming that the web shop sector was making obscene profits, a claim the industry vehemently rejects.