Wire SOUTH AMERICA
Uruguay - Gambling Bill green lights online The Executive branch has sent a bill to Parliament that would permit both state and privately-run casinos to offer online casino games including poker roulette and slots. The bill, signed by President Lacalle Pou, would give the General Directorate of Casinos of the Ministry of Economy and Finance authority to run online casino games, and gives the Executive branch permission to authorise private companies that already operate casinos as well as future licence holders permission to offer online casino games.
The explanatory memorandum of the bill states that given the "progress and significance that internet games already have in the present and will surely have in the future", the General Directorate of Casinos should be empowered to "exploit the games that it traditionally develops through technological platforms, with the understanding that a large part of the recreational activity will be exercised -if not already- in the future through them.”
Casinos and slot parlours are run and owned completely by the state via Uruguay casino group, Casinos del Estado. They are also jointly owned and operated by the private sector and the state under “the mixed system,” since 1995. There is also one completely privately owned and run casino: The Hotel and Casino Enjoy in Punta del Este. However, another private casino is planned for the San Rafael hotel in Punta del Este. The hotel has been closed since 2011, but was acquired by the Cipriani Group for more than US$40m in February 2018.
It is believed that the authorisation of online games was a key condition for the investment of the new casino in Punta del Este. During the pandemic, online gambling grew in Uruguay as casinos were closed but because no online gambling laws are yet in place the government lost out on significant tax revenue as a result. Offshore sites are blocked by the government. The only online gaming platform currently allowed is via Supermatch, the government owned sports betting monopoly.
El Salvador - Ministry’s Online Gaming Bill El Salvador’s Ministry of Finance has presented a new law to the Legislative Assembly which would give the National Lottery (Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia de El Salvador) the right to both oversee and run sports betting and online casino games nationwide.
According to the new Constitutional law Law of the National Lottery of Charity (LNB), the LNB may authorise third parties to operate the newly authorised games which would be carried out by means of a permit, licence, agreement, contract, concession, or public-private partnership (PPP).
The legislation would provide the LNB with the ability to regulate, monitor, supervise, organise and run the new games via a third party, in addition to granting and vetoing licences which would be valid for a ten year period. Additional revenue from the new games on offer will be used for health and social welfare programmes.
P8 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Puerto Rico to Allow Three new Casinos
Puerto Rico will have three new casinos in operation during 2022 according to the Gaming Commission. Te casinos will be located in the areas of San Juan, Dorado and Ponce. Te board has endorsed one casino as a first step in granting it a licence and is currently evaluating two other requests. Te commission
announced that the new casinos will generate around 325 direct jobs and will signify an important source of additional income for the government.
Rivera projected that the expansion of gambling in casinos will pave the way for the promotion of Puerto Rico as an international destination.
PUERTO RICO LAND-BASED
Puerto Rico will have three new casinos in operation during 2022 according to the Gaming Commission. Te casinos will be located in the areas of San Juan, Dorado and Ponce. Te board has endorsed one casino as a first step in granting it a licence and is currently evaluating two other requests.
Te commission announced that the new casinos will generate around 325 direct jobs and will signify an important source of additional income for the government.
Te Condado Plaza Hilton’s plans to operate a casino on the premises once again have already been endorsed by the commission. According to information provided by the company, the casino will house more than 300 slot machines along with dozens of gaming tables. Te investment is estimated to stand at about US$33m and will generate about 200 direct jobs. Te casino in the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan closed in 2015.
Te other two hotels that have requested the endorsement of the commission are the Embassy Suites by Hilton-Dorado, del Mar Beach Resort, Dorado and the Tribute Fortfolio Ponce Grand Casino, in Ponce. In September 2014, the casino at Embassy Suites closed. Meanwhile, the former Hotel Ponce Intercontinental is to reopen after being closed for 45 years and marks a major investment in the country.
Te data offered by the Gaming Commission groups both casinos together with the agency arguing that they will create about 120 jobs, and will house between them about 450 slots and 13 gaming tables.
“We will evaluate these requests with rigor and the highest sense of responsibility towards investors, players and the people; that will benefit from the reactivation of tourist areas,” said the Executive Director of the Commission, Orlando Rivera.
Argentina Evolution offers first Live Casino in Buenos Aires
Evolution has launched its live casino games portfolio in Argentina’s newly regulated Buenos Aires Province online gaming market. Evolution was the first and only live casino provider to go live on day one in the new market. Evolution is live with operator, BetWarrior, with an extensive range of live dealer games, a First Person range of games and over 100 online slots NetEnt and Red Tiger.
Evolution is also set to go live with other operators in the New Year. Further live games from Ezugi, will be available for operators in the near future.
In addition to the newly regulated Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires runs a regulated online casino market. Currently, the market features RNG games – including titles from Evolution’s first person line, as well as NetEnt slots.
Te Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is in the process of adding live gaming to its regulated offering, when regulation is in place live games from Evolution will be available also in this market. Buenos Aires Province and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires are the two most populous areas of Argentina. Gambling is regulated by each jurisdiction separately.
Mónica Umaña, Head of Operations LATAM at Evolution, said: “Tis is a very exciting time for operators and their players in the Buenos Aires Province and Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Evolution has a long record of being first-to-market for operators across the world and our games represent the very best of online gaming in regulated online markets.”
Mexico
Vivento Casino, located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, opened its doors on December 1, with a host of slot titles from Zitro, including Link King, Link Me and 88 Link. Jorge Miranda, Slot Manager of Logrand Entertainment Group, said: “We trust Zitro to offer the diversity and fun that our customers expect, ensuring, at the same time, high performance in the casino. Zitro is always a guarantee of success in the region.”
With more than 50 Zitro machines, and a library of video slot games, including Bashiba Luxor and Double Link Warriors, as well as the video-bingo title, Dragon Lamp 3, Zitro offers Vivento Casino players unique gaming experiences at one of Mexico’s premier gaming locations in the northern region of the country.
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