Wire SOUTH AMERICA
Te request for the case to be reopened was made by plaintiffs who believe the betting houses have committed illegal acts related to lotteries and gambling.
CHILE ONLINE BETTING Court reopens Online Betting Investigation
A court in Chile has reopened the investigation against online sports betting operators with former footballers and journalists potentially set to testify.
Argentina - Bill proposed to restrict advertising National deputy Eduardo Toniolli presented a bill to regulate the advertising of gambling and online betting, which seeks to prohibit mass advertising and only allows digital advertising, as long as it is targeted exclusively at adults who have given their prior consent.
“We aim to limit the presence of online gambling in our daily lives, especially in the lives of young people and adolescents, who now have immediate access through virtual wallets – at any time and from anywhere – to platforms that can lead them to compulsive behaviours, with serious consequences for their future development,” said Toniolli..
The proposal is inspired by debate over the issue in several European jurisdictions. The deputy stated that they took as a reference new legislation adopted by the Netherlands, which “distinguishes between non- targeted advertising, reaching a mass audience regardless of age, and online targeted advertising, which can be directed to a specific audience.”
The initiative was supported by the signatures of 26 other members of the Union for the Homeland (Unión por la Patria) political party.
Puerto Rico - First casino for Old San Juan The Hotel Rumbao Tribute Portfolio, in Old San Juan, will add a casino to its already existing facilities. Carlos Rodríguez, CEO of Driftwood Capital, the owning company told press that the casino will be located on the first level of the Paseo Portuario building, which the firm acquired in 2021 for $21.7m. The construction, which has already begun, is expected to take about 12 months.
The company will invest around $12m in the casino Rodríguez said in a press conference adding that the company had entered into an agreement with Spanish-based operator Grupo Orenes for the operation of the casino. According to local news paper El Nuevo Día this is in addition to the $15m that has been invested since 2023 for the remodelling of the 245-room hotel. The casino will be connected to the hotel.
Driftwood Capital also plans to add 150 rooms to the property by constructing a tower in an adjacent building. Driftwood Capital acquired the former Sheraton Old San Juan hotel in 2021 for about $33m. However, the ownership of the land is retained by the Puerto Rico Land Administration. Similarly, the company acquired the adjacent commercial building to the hotel for $2.6m.Old San Juan is an area of San Juan, the Capital of Puerto Rico. Old San Juan is home to significant landmarks like El Morro and Castillo San Cristobal, both recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
P10 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
A court in Chile has decided to reopen the investigation against online betting houses. Te news comes after the Public Ministry’s announcement at the end of 2023 that it wasn’t going to persevere in the inquiry.
According to information gathered by BBCL Investiga, the Fourth Guarantee Court of Santiago accepted the request of the plaintiffs, regarding the need to carry out new proceedings before closing the investigations. Te request to order the reopening of the case was mainly based on the fact that – in the opinion of the plaintiffs – the betting houses have engaged in acts that constitute the crime of illegal exploitation of lotteries and gambling.
In addition to ordering the reopening of the case, a series of proceedings requested by Marina del Sol, Polla Chilena de Beneficencia and San Francisco Investment (Monticello) must now be carried out within the 180-day deadline that was granted by the court. Sports journalists from ESPN could be summoned to testify.
Uruguay Interest high for casino in Carmelo
Deputy Minister of Tourism of Uruguay, Remo Monzeglio, has revealed that three international groups have expressed their interest in the Carmelo Hotel Casino. Talking to local daily Carmelo Portal the official said that these groups, all from abroad, are actively evaluating the opportunity to invest.
In May, Monzeglio accompanied the Mayor of Colonia, Carlos Moreira, to Buenos Aires for a series of key meetings, one of which focused on the future of the Carmelo Hotel Casino, with two scheduled meetings with representatives of groups specialised in hospitality and casinos, who have shown interest in the project.
Te Deputy Minister also mentioned a recent trip to Miami where he made contact with a third investor group interested in the hotel and casino sector. Tis group confirmed their intention to visit Carmelo in the coming days
to further explore the investment opportunity in the Carmelo hotel.
In April, the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay announced the call for the sale of two properties conditioned to the construction and operation of a luxury hotel with a casino concession in the city of Carmelo. Te permit for the operation of gambling games will be granted for a period of 20 years.
Located in the Uruguayan city of Carmelo the term of the Hotel Casino Carmelo casino license ended on June 30 and it closed in July 2020. Currently, the property is in a dilapidated state. New specifications require that a project be submitted which includes a hotel with a convention hall for 500 people, an events and entertainment hall, a restaurant offering international and local cuisine, a heated swimming pool, over 100 rooms, a 200-metre dock for small boats, and the tender also grants a licence to operate a private casino.
Additionally, testimony will be requested from former football players as well as presidents of top Chilean football clubs who will be called to testify about their relationship with online betting houses. According to local press Information will also be requested from clubs regarding their business dealings with online betting sponsors.
Consulted on the matter, the representative of San Francisco Investment (Monticello) in this case, the lawyer and former prosecutor Carlos Gajardo, welcomed the decision of the justice. “Tis ruling by the Court is very important because it sets the correct criterion. Online betting is illegal, not allowed in our country, and therefore, these facts must be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
In November, Chile’s Public Ministry decided to dismiss the criminal complaints filed by land based casinos and the lottery (Polla Chilena de Beneficencia) against online betting houses. Te complaint dates back more than two years.
Brazil
Te National Congress overturned President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s veto to sections of the online gambling bill that allowed for the exemption of Income Tax for prizes in sports betting and online casinos.
Te override occurred during a joint session, with the presence of deputies and senators. With this decision, the rule that exempts winnings up to R$2,259 from taxation was reinstated. Parliamentarians also reintroduced a section that establishes that IR taxation on bettors will occur once a year.
Deputies and senators also reinstated a provision that states that taxation will only be charged on the net prize, after deducting losses and bet amounts. According to the law signed in December, the tax rate will be 12 per cent on betting houses and 15 per cent on prizes obtained by bettors. In the Chamber of Deputies, 417 lawmakers voted to overturn the veto and 64 voted to uphold Lula’s veto.
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