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MEXICO - 15 PER CENT OF SLOTS OPERATE ILLEGALLY According to the President of The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) 15 per cent of the 90 thousand slot machines operating in Mexico are operating illegally. According to Carlos Carrión the rise in illegal gaming in Mexico is due to the fact that Mexico lacks proper safe- guard controls when it comes to the certification of equip- ment imported from abroad.


According to calculations by AGEM, in Mexico electronic gam- bling machines generate around US$1.6bn a year with man- ufactures earning around 20 per cent of this amount - around $U.S328m.


According to Mr. Carrión, used slot machines in Mexico using pirated software are widely available. However, machines using pirated software leads inevitably to falling standards within the industry and can lead to host of problems includ- ing start up problems, system error problems and wrong pay outs to players.


AGEM is now waiting for the Senate to pass Mexico’s new gaming bill. This week it was revealed that the new gaming law could be up for debate as early as next month. The new law includes a number of provision which would ensure that equipment brought in from abroad is properly regulated and certified and will by overseen by a new Institute of Gaming within the Interior Ministry (SEGOB) .


In addition to the licences slot machines in Mexico there are, according to estimates by the General Directorate of Gaming (DGJS), between an estimated 70,000 and 75,000 slot machines operating illegally throughout Mexico located in grocer’s shops and other small businesses such as chemists and convenience stores. Last year the government launched the beginning of a crackdown on illegal slot machines and destroyed around 5,000 illegal slot machines in a campaign to combat illegal gambling.


To combat the phenomenon, which has spread widely over the last five years, SEGOB also launched a public awareness campaign last year on national media. With the motto “Addiction Is No Game” the campaign asks the public to report the location of any illegal slot machine to the govern- ment via a confidential telephone line. It is hoped that the new gaming act if approved by the Senate next month could lead to a much wider crackdown on illegal gaming.


PERU - KING KONG CASH PAYS OUT WAP JACKPOT A regular customer at the Money Money Casino won the first Wide Area Progressive (WAP) jackpot on GTECH ‘s KING KONG CASHTM in Lima, Peru late last year, a little more than three months after the game’s installation. The player won the prize of approximately US$9,000 after triggering the KING KONG CASH Bonus while playing max bet.


"Never in my life have I won a WAP jackpot. It's an indescrib- able feeling to know that I was the winner of a prize between several casinos," said the anonymous winner. Staff at the Money Money casino joined in the happy event, saying that they never imagined the progressive would hit so soon. Money Money Casino is operated by the Nevada/Alpamayo Group, which operates more than 10,000 slot machines in 113 casinos across Peru, and the KING KONG CASH WAP is installed across 11 of the group’s casinos. GTECH ́s KING KONG CASH WAP is available in Peru exclusively at casinos operated by the Nevada/Alpamayo Group.


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PRESIDENT SET TO ALLOW EXTENSION


The President of Chile has finally declared that the country’s municipal casinos will be granted a further two year extension


Chile - Legislation


After many months of debate, it is expected that the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet (right) could finally sign legislation which will extend the municipal casino licences for a further two years. The new law would affect the seven casinos oper- ating within the governing municipalities of: Arica, Iquique, Coquimbo, Viña del Mar, Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Natales.


According to parliamentary sources, the new leg- islation could be presented to Congress in February. Members of the Chilean Gaming Control Board (SCJ) have met with the Secretary of Treasury, Alejandro Micco, and the Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency, Ximena Rincón, in order to clarify the final details of the new bill. The issue is a vital one for the municipal- ities where they are located as they provide a sig- nificant share of funding locally. In the case of the case of Viña del Mar, for example, the casino pro- vides 50 per cent of the municipal budget.


The new bill would extend municipal licenses for a further two years until the end of 2017 in order to give the municipalities time to prepare for the new bidding process and find alternative ways to raise funding once the casinos fall in line with the other casinos in the country and come under supervision of the SJC. In that period the casinos will continue to pay the same amount of its annu-


al income to the municipalities where they are located.


Meanwhile, new details have emerged as to the licensing process once the municipal licenses expire. According to the Mayor of Pucon, Carlos Barra the new law would state that casinos will remain in the cities where they are located and significant resources will be guaranteed to the city. Similar statements were also made by the Mayor of Viña del Mar and President of the Association of Municipalities of Casinos Games, Virginia Reginato who has been spearheading the cam- paign to allow for an extension of the municipal licences.


“This vital problem will be resolved soon and we shall soon know the final contents of the project that President Bachelet sends to Congress. We are certain and have total confidence that the President will keep to his word and addressees this enormous danger that now lurks in these seven districts,” she said.


The issue of the municipal casinos has become increasingly urgent of late with local lawmakers concerned that they will soon lose out on millions of dollars of tax revenue from casinos located within their jurisdictions.


Crackdown on slot parlours begins in earnest in Panama


PANAMA Two large scale slot parlours have been closed down in what looks likely to be the beginning of a crackdown on the slot parlour industry. Categorised as Type C in Panamanian gaming law slot parlours have in the past have generated sizeable revenues for the government and have prolif- erated rapidly in recent years. However, their expansion has been most pronounced in poorer areas and there have been grow- ing reports that the government has been poised to tackle the issue. This was after recent state- ments by the Gaming control Board (JCJ) that it considers Type C machines, to be the main caus- es of pathological gambling, since they are located in nearby low income neighbourhoods.


The Panamanian Gaming Control Board (JCJ) closed two Type C slot parlours, one located in the city of El Valle de Anton and the


other in the city of Penonomé, in the province of Cocle, for failure to comply with the terms of their licences. The Gaming Board has announced that a number of clo- sures are likely in the coming weeks both in Panama City and the rest of the country.


Type C slot machines may only pay a maximum of US$200 per machine in prizes and have been an increasingly important source of funding over recent yeas. According to the Ministry of Finance, Type C slots generated US$10.6m from January to November of this year in gaming tax revenue to the state.


However, Executive Secretary of the JCJ, Eric Rivers told press that it was “time to put our house in order ”going on to say that: “There have been many excesses in this economic activity and nobody has done anything about it, but the Gaming Control Board


will not allow this situation to continue. Slot parlours that do not comply with the provisions of laws will be closed,” he said.


According to the President of the Association of Managers of Gaming (ASAJA), Antonio Alfaro, Panama has seen a rapid growth of slot parlours which are operat- ing without a licence. In 2012 there were an estimated 4,000 type C slot machines operating throughout Panama but there could now be as many as 8,000 to 9,000 located in economically depressed areas.


Alfaro has called on the JCJ to issue a resolution so that all casi- nos nationwide must take part in self exclusion programmes in the future.


The issue is significant as Panamanian Gaming Law was specifically designed so that it would improve tourist infra- structure and attract tourist but with the rise of slot parlours in poorer neighbourhoods there is increasing evidence that it is locals rather that foreigners who continue to play.


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