G3Newswire SOUTH AMERICA NEWS FEARS GROW OVER SLOT NUMBERS
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There is concern in Panama over the rise of slots located in lower income neighbourhoods with plans for tax hikes
Panama - Legislation
PARAGUAY - ONLY ONE BID FOR CAPITAL CASINO The Paraguayan Gaming Commission (CONAJZAR) has only received one bid during its latest tender process. The offer was made to run a casino in capital Asunción as part of the bid to operate a second casino in the city¬ according to the head of CONAJZAR Javier Balbuena. The official estimated that in about fifteen days, it would decide whether or not the license should be awarded.
He said nine companies in all purchased the bidding terms and conditions, but when the opening of the bids was held on October 2nd, the only bid submitted was that by company Gloria Hotelería S.A which already operates a casino in the Hotel Guarani.
"We are now in the process of evaluation of the documenta- tion submitted. The ideal is that the largest number of bid- ders are always presented,” Mr. Balbuena said before point- ing out that the lack of offers was due to the rigour and high standards demanded as part of the new bidding terms. "This is a different competition . . .We are providing a license, which should provide reassure to customers," he said.
Mr. Balbuena went onto say that the commission is now in the process of evaluating the documentation and noted that recent tenders have also only attracted a small number of bids including the tender processes for the right to run both telebingo and quinela.
The tender process for a number of new casinos has been fraught with difficulties and delays for many years, with three tender processes being abandoned. In 2009 and again in 2010 and 2011 CONAJZAR was forced to halt the bidding process over accusations of irregularities and other issues mostly revolving around the fact that bidders were not meet- ing the minimum requirements set out to by the gaming commission.
URUGUAY - US BETS PERMITTED AT RACETRACKS Betting on local pools at the Uruguayan racetrack of Maroñas and the racetrack of Las Piedras is now under way in the United States via The Latin American Racing Channel (LARC). It marks an important milestone for the Uruguayan horse racing industry as it seeks to expand its audience to the United States and it’s the first time that customers based in the United States are able to place their bets directly on the pari-mutuel pools from the Latin American racetracks.
President of Monarch Content Management Scott Daruty welcomed the news and said in a statement: “For many years the Latin American Racing Channel has been working for bettors who are in the United States so that they would be able to place their bets directly on the pari-mutuel pools from racetracks of South America. We are very pleased that US bettors can now place commingled wagers directly into the pools of these Uruguayan racetracks.”
Customers in the United States will be able to place wagers via Xpressbet a service which allows account holders to wager on horse racing through online, phone, and mobile devices.
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There is growing concern in Panama over the rise of slot machines located in lower income neighbourhoods with lawmakers admitting that urgent measures are necessary to tax them more efficiently. According to local press reports, the state is currently unaware of the exact amounts which are bet via Type C slot machines located in slot parlours. This is because unlike slot machines located in casinos and categorised as type A in Panamanian gam- ing law, slot machines located outside of casi- nos are not connected to a central government controlled server. Under current rules slot machines outside of parlours pay a monthly fee of US$150 per machine, while slot machines in fully fledged casinos pay a percentage of their income.
As result there is growing fear that the money generated by slot parlours could be being used for money laundering, according to sources in the gaming sector. Secretary of the Gaming Control Board (SJC) Eric Ríos told press that the government was working on a project to con- nect type C machines slot machines to the gov- ernment controlled server. Mr Ríos said that the board was currently in the analysis stage and said that the system could be operational as early as next year.
In 2012, the Gaming Board pulled 3000 slot machines out from circulation arguing that 4 of the 21 companies which had been authorised to operate were operating without a proper permit.
However despite a number of measures aimed at reducing levels of problem gambling slot par- lours have continued to grow and by 2013 there were at least 8000 slot machines located throughout Panama. In 2012 the board estab- lished new rules which imposed a US$10 thou- sand licence fee with operators authorised to operate from 15 to 75 slot machines on site which allowed for another expansion of the market.
The expansion of slot parlours in poorer areas has been a growing cause for concern and there have been reports this year that the govern- ment had been poised to tackle the issue. This was after a number of statements released by the Gaming control Board that it considered Type C machines, to be the main causes of pathological gambling, since they are located in nearby low income neighbourhoods. Type C slot machines may only pay a maximum of US$200 per machine in prizes.
In September it was revealed that the Commission of Economy and Finance in Panama’s National Assembly had begun the consultation phase in the first debate of the bill that will restructure the Gaming Control Board. New proposals seek to regulate casinos and gaming halls due to their proximity to local to communities, schools and churches.
Gaming board seeking to revitalise horse racing sector
COLOMBIA The Colombian Gaming Control Board is aiming to provide a new impetus to the horse race indus- try by cutting taxes and extend- ing licences. Amendments to Colombia’s horse racing laws will cut taxes to just 1 per cent, extend licences for 10 years and give local municipalities more say over the industry.
While other betting platforms such as lottery game Baloto or sports betting have tax rates of 32 per cent and 24 per cent respectively the short duration of licences granted to racetracks in the past, along with a high tax rate have meant that operators have been forced to make large investments with little time for returns.
The industry was singled out for high taxes in the 1970’s and 1980’s with taxes ultimately reaching 30 percent which meant that a large number of tracks were forced to close. Since 1990 a number of attempts have been made to increase investment in the industry but new amend- ments now being put forward by Coljuegos are causing optimism that the industry could once more gain in popularity.
Rules to ease the pressure on the industry were first introduced five years ago but could soon become reality according to Coljuegos with Law 179 which will give local authorities the autonomy to give the green light to horse race tracks for ten years with licences renewable for a
further ten. According to Coljuegos a revitalised industry could generate around $3bn pesos for the health service. Gaming tax revenue in Colombia is destined for the health sector and currently makes up two per- cent of its budget
In its heyday the horse racing industry employed over 40 thou- sand people in Colombia but has been sharp decline with a total of eleven tracks closing over recent years and there are now only a handful of thoroughbred breed- ers left.
According to industry insiders tracks could follow the example of Mexico, where the industry has been successful in attracting younger people by incorporating shopping centres and in some instances nightclubs. Insiders also argue that the new is being put forward as a way to generate jobs and improve the local econ- omy.
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