Wire SOUTH AMERICA
Puerto Rico - Three new casinos for Ponce Puerto Rico’s Gaming Commission has granted three new casino Licences in Ponce. The casinos will be located in the hotels of Aloft, Hampton Inn and the Tribute Portfolio by Marriott hotels. With a population of 194,636, Ponce is Puerto Rico's second largest city.
Head of the board, Orlando Rivera-Carrión, said that the Aloft hotel, which opened in April 2021, would invest as much as US$42m to develop its casino. The other two properties, Hampton Inn, and Tribute by Marriott, are currently under construction.
“The opening of these casinos will be an important step for Ponce’s economic and tourism development, and we’re happy to contribute to the area in our role as gambling regulator,” said Rivera-Carrión.
“The licences we grant today will allow these companies, which have been selected in the southern zone to establish themselves, to develop and expand their footprint in the future. The role played by the Commission is, in this sense, that of a facilitator.
“The strict regulations and supervision that we put in place gives confidence to the investor, and the player alike, that their investment is protected by law and government regulation. This certainty is particularly important for the diversification of the casino offer, with new activities such as online sports betting.
“We are confident that the increase in visitors and hotel occupancy that Ponce has experienced in recent months will continue to rise,” he added.
The official explained that the operation of the new casinos will mean an additional $72m in revenues for the government over a period of 10 years and the share of winnings will be split with 51 per cent going to the government and the remaining 49 per cent to the operator.
Peru - EGT’s 300 machine order for Peru EGT Peru has signed a deal to install 300 machines with one of the largest operators in the country. The operator initially rented from EGT’s Premier Series, but results convinced the operator to purchase the machines.
“We are strengthening our long-term partnership with one of Peru’s leading casino operators as we celebrate EGT‘s 20th anniversary,” said Mario Trayanski, director of EGT Peru. “Our Premier cabinets are popular in Peru thanks to their design and wide variety of games. I am confident that these machines will continue to attract visitors and position themselves among the best performing cabinets in this operator’s casinos.”
“The market is recovering from the COVID crisis and we expect to close several more large-scale deals. All this would not have been possible without the tireless effort and dedication of the local EGT team.”
P8 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Gambling Bill Faces Uphill Battle in Senate Te Senate has begun debating gambling bill PL 2648/2019, which will allow
casinos, bingo halls and street lotteries in Brazil, but it won’t be a smooth ride.
Te Chamber approved PL 442/1991 by 246 votes in favour and 202 against. Te bill allows for casinos, bingo halls and the street lottery “the animal game.”
BRAZIL LEGISLATION
Te Brazilian Senate has begun debating gambling bill PL 2648/2019. Several senators have already spoken out against the initiative, saying that the liberalisation of the market will lead to social harm. Te deputy leader of the government, Senator Carlos Viana, was one of the critics.
“International experience shows that large casinos are used for money laundering, drug trafficking and prostitution. Te inspection of this sector is very difficult. In addition, gambling and betting addiction is part of Te International Classification of Diseases (ICD),” stated Senator Carlos Viana.
While Viana acknowledged that the legalisation of games has the potential to bring revenue to the country, he stated that the revenue would not make up for the increase in spending on public health and the ensuing fight against organised crime. Te leader of the government in the Chamber, Deputy Ricardo Barros, said that President Jair Bolsonaro intends to veto the project if the Senate approves it.
Senator Luiz do Carmo also expressed his opposition to the bill, and asked colleagues to
“reflect on the consequences” of legalisation. However the bill is not without its supporters. Senator Angelo Coronel defended the legalisation of gambling, citing revenue gains, job creation and opportunities to promote regional development and tourism.
Coronel argued that “gambling is already present in the daily life of Brazilians. Outdated arguments put us on the side of only two G20 countries that still ban games for religious reasons and far from most countries, including our brothers in Mercosur, who already understand that gambling is an important economic activity and cannot be banned for reasons of customs only.”
Te senator also claims that the financial volumes generated by illegal gambling is higher than the money collected by Caixa Econômica Federal Bank through its lotteries. “It is important to mitigate the risks of money laundering, using the structures that already exist. In another area, it is necessary to indicate mechanisms of assistance to game addicts, which already exist today. Tese are some legitimate concerns that I share and I believe they can be addressed,” he said.
Argentina Greentube strengthens Betsson partnership
Greentube has taken its content live with Betsson in Argentina, further strengthening the successful partnership with the operator. Te launch marks Greentube’s debut in the regulated region of Buenos Aires City. Content from Greentube’s bingo offering has also gone live, with the vertical being popular with local players. Greentube and Betsson are long- standing partners across numerous markets, and the recent expansion will see the relationship further strengthened.
Te launch with Betsson in Argentina follows a period of strong global growth for Greentube. Te supplier’s content has been performing strongly in LatAm regions including Paraguay and Colombia where, as in Argentina, players are familiar with Greentube’s land-based titles
Lisa Sandner, Sales and Key Account Manager for Argentina at Greentube, said: “It is very exciting for us to introduce our content in Argentina and we are thrilled to make our market debut together with our trusted partner, Betsson. Going live in Buenos Aires is an important part of expanding our presence in LatAm where we have already gained a lot of traction and the local audience has embraced our content. We can’t wait to see how our popular titles are received by local online players in the region.”
Laura Peretta, Supplier Relations Manager at Betsson, said: “From our existing partnership we know that our customers enjoy playing Greentube’s premium content and we are very happy to be the first operator to launch their games in Argentina. Tis is a very exciting region for iGaming and we are dedicated to offering players the best experience. With Greentube’s content we significantly increase our offering in the country.”
Chile
Te Deciding Council of the Chilean Gaming Board (SJC) has unanimously chosen to revoke Enjoy’s Puerto Varas Casino licence. Te decision was made after Enjoy allegedly failed to meet its obligations as established in article 28 of Law No. 19,995, to build the approved integral casino project within the term established by law - two years, with the possibility of extending it for an additional year - which expired on August 1, 2021. Te revocation procedure began on August 2, 2021, after SJC inspectors verified that the project had not yet been constructed. In accordance with Circular No. 84 released by the SCJ in 2017, the current licence holder of the municipal casino licence in Puerto Varas (Dreams) may continue to operate, until the new casino comes into operation.
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