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CHILE – SENATORS ATTEMPT TO EXTEND LICENCES In what could be their last chance, lawmakers in Chile are attempting to extend the municipal casino licences for another 15 years.
A new bill introduced by Senators Francisco Chahuán, Carlos Bianchi, José García Ruminot, Ricardo Lagos Weber and Iván Moreira asks Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet to put into law legislation which would allow the municipal governments an extension of their licences.
An extension is justified, they argue, because it would give local governments the time to plan and implement new ways to make up for the inevitable shortfall in tax income that will be lost once the casinos come under the supervision of the Chilean Gaming Control Board. However, the Senators face an uphill struggle as similar legislation was strongly rejected only in March in Chile’s Lower House. This was after lawmak- ers claimed that it was unfair and that municipalities with local government run casinos had abused their rights.
The new law also seeks to protect the jobs of workers cur- rently employed by the municipal casinos should the casinos eventually come under the control of private operator. According to the new bill, 9,000 workers are employed by the municipal casinos which also provide an additional 4,000 indirect jobs. In 2013 an agreement was made both in the Lower and Upper House which would have ensured that new operators would be legally obliged to hire at least eighty per- cent of workers currently employed by the municipal casinos. However, no such agreement has been made under the present administration.
LATAM – GLI OPEN LATAM QUALITY COMPLIANCE UNIT GLI has created a new dedicated unit within its Quality Assurance Department (QA) at its world head- quarters in New Jersey. The new Latin America QA and Technical Compliance unit will focus exclusive- ly on GLI’s support for regulators and supplier clients throughout Latin America and Spanish-speaking jurisdictions.
GLI’s Senior Director of Quality Assurance Diana Golda has been named to oversee the new unit. Longtime Technical Compliance staff member Maria Alessi has been named Manager of the dedicated team.
“There is a critical need for us as a company to deliver accu- rate and timely certifications and regulatory support for our Spanish-speaking clients in the region. We have been strongly committed to the gaming and lottery industries in Latin America for nearly two decades, and we will always do everything we can to provide the value, quality and services necessary for our clients to reduce risk and increase prof- itability. Establishing this new group fulfills on that promise,” said Christine Gallo, Vice President of Technical Compliance & Quality Assurance (pictured).
“GLI is so much more than just testing, and with the creation of this Quality Assurance unit, we prove once again we are prepared to respond to the needs of Spanish-speaking sup- pliers and regulators. This unit is comprised of native Spanish-speaking personnel who speak the language and understand the culture and the needs of the region’s jurisdic- tions,” said GLI Director of Latin American Development Karen Sierra-Hughes.
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GAMING BOARD HAILS NEW CHANGES
Wide sweeping changes to Colombia’s gaming market look increasingly likely with online control and monitoring of slots Colombia - Legislation
A wide sweeping change to Colombia’s growing gaming market looks increasingly likely with the online control and monitoring of all slot machines now scheduled for April 2015. As reported in June, the connection of all slot machines online was first considered in 2008 when Colombia changed its gaming laws and was then passed into law in 2010. However, Colombia is the only country in the region which has legislation which allows for online monitoring of slot machines but is yet to put the law into practice. While the gaming board has been quick to point out the benefits an online monitoring of the industry local operators are less than keen saying that the it could cost the indus- try almost as much as US$350m.
The head of Colombia’s gaming control board Coljuegos, Cristina Arango, highlighted the posi- tive impact the new online system would have on the industry. “The information which is going to be gathered at a central server is very important as up until now the casinos sector has reported its operational results made on an assumed basis. That is to say that the amount which has been destined for the health sector has depended on the number of machines that are in operation inde- pendently from the money which is paid into them. By connecting them online, we will profes-
sionalise the sector, increasing dependability and operational standards will improve.”
The online monitoring of slots will involve a total of 54 operators and 396 gaming operations in all. According to the schedule now set out, operators must have all gaming equipment connected to the centrally controlled server but will be allowed to connect their gaming equipment gradually over a period of 15 months. However, operators will have until September 2015 to demonstrate 100 per cent compliance with the new regulations.
Although the new system might bring a greater level of accountability to the industry, local oper- ators have been less enthusiastic with the move which they say will come with a multi-million dollar price tag. According to Rocío Albornoz Gaitán head of the Federation for Casinos and Bingo Businesses (Fecoljuegos ) many slots cur- rently in operation date back to before 2004. These would not be able to be adapted to the new system meaning that up to 30,000 slots would have to be replaced. Replacing these machines would cost an estimated US$ 330m while imple- menting the necessary software in place for exist- ing machines so that they may comply with the new online system could cost a further US$17.5m.
Argentine politician calls for ban on ATM machines in casinos
ARGENTINA National Deputy Guillermo Durand Cornejo (PCP-Union Pro Party) along with his fellow Deputies Federico Pinedo and Ricardo Spinozzi have presented a new law into the Lower House which could have important con- sequences for the gaming industry in Argentina.
Together the lawmakers have called for a ban on ATMs in casi- nos and in the vicinity of casinos, bingo halls and racetracks. The lawmakers have introduced a new bill which would ban ATMs from being within 300m radius of all gaming betting establishments as well as new laws which would limit opening hours.
The bill proposes that the National Lottery should be responsible for putting the new law into effect. Deputy Durand Cornejo proposals are aimed at guaranteeing the “right to health” and aimed at “diminishing the frequency” those addicted to gambling play.
When introducing the new bill, Durand Cornejo said that in Argentina there was a “direct link between the social economic cri- sis, the proliferation of drugs, casinos, slot machines and the growth of this addiction which can be equated with alcoholism or drug addiction.” Lawmakers are also aiming at reducing opening hours in order to reach the same goal with Deputy Durand Cornejo claiming that the game rooms in Argentina are “usually open 24 hours 365 days a year.” A reduc- tion of opening hours could, he states, alleviate the problem.
Calls for new rules that would safeguard locals from gambling addiction are gathering momen- tum with cross party consensus growing on the issue nationwide. In the city of Gualeguaychú in the province of Entre Rios lawmakers met last week to discuss plans which would limit the amount of investment in casinos in the city and would restrict opening hours as well.
Puerto Rico The President of the Commission for the Development of the Tourism Industry, Ángel García Matos, has announced that a raft of new games to enable casinos in Puerto Rico to remain competitive. He also announced that the casino in the Mayagüez Resort Hotel would remain open. Mr. Matos emphasised that new up to date regulations were needed for the industry. “I personally visited and held a meeting with the owner, who told us first hand of the challenges facing the casino when it comes to maintaining a 24-hour operation,” he said. He went onto to say that the new casino will, thanks to recent efforts made by the management, no longer have to lay off 90 employees, which had seemed imminent due to a fall in visitor numbers.
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