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Latino America
Ricki Chavez Munoz reports on what’s happening in South America
Starting this year, we’ll have the opportunity to gather in London during ICE 2011 that opens on Tuesday 24 with industry conferences and exhibits for all the gaming industry, including racing and sports betting plus the growing online segment.
During three days, the Latin American gaming business leaders that make the journey to what may well be an arctic London, if the inclement weather that has engulfed the country these dasy does no abate, will have the chance to visit global leaders such as Novomatic, IGT, Bally, debuting Merkur Gaming, moving from Amusements, that is, debuting Amaya Gaming from Canada, promising the latest in high technology products for the industry, as well as hundreds on companies from all over the world, which year after year meet at this European event.
As far as industry trade shows go in Latin America, the calendar starts with the Caribbean Gaming Show in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in march; FADJA in Bogota in April; ELA in Mexico in May; SAGSE Panama in June; a rebranded Peru Gaming Show in August, under new management in August; and SAGSE Buenos Aires in November.
As the gaming industry matures, there is an increasing number of conference events lined up for the region, starting with specialists Terrapinn’s Gaming Executive Summit Latin America in Panama, in February; during the May and November events, Yogonet will run Encuentro Ey!; whilst CIJUEGO has conferences in March in Colombia, and June in Peru, with industry samplings on view.
Notwithstanding compounded growth in the industry of 13%, regulators, legislators and governments still treat the industry as backwater traders in need of controversial rules and regulations to encumber operators, from Mexico, going through Ecuador and Peru – with controversial slots online control programmes – and touching Chile and Paraguay, also.
However, all this is part and parcel of a growing industry, with innocent trials, crass error and gross mistakes; as well as a good measure sensible legislation from the peripheral actors. What is true is that gaming operations are not free from short lived errors, but crass mistakes are taboo because all the edifice operation and investment would go to hell fire, and then there would not be budgets for functionaries to rest their fat behinds on comfy chairs, or space to set in this few lines. And it is for this reason that we all should protect the gaming operations as if they were the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Cheers,
Ricki.
Growing interest in mixed investment casinos in Uruguay
With 2010 growth projected at over 15% higher than in 2009, Uruguay’s state casinos announced in mid-November that revenues had already exceeded 2009 figures. In 2009 Casinos del Estado made in excess of US$174 million with profits of US$62 million.
In Uruguay 90% of tax collected from state casinos goes to state coffers and the rest to a series of organizations supported by the casinos, such as the Heritage Commission and the Olympic Committee. However, there exists a new investment model whereby the private sector can invest in casinos in a mixed economy format, sharing proceeds with the state.
There exist eight casinos that are working in conjunction with the private sector, including the legendary Conrad Casino in the seaside resort of Punta del Este. In this resort playground city, the Nogaró and Mantra casinos are also private investment operation in the mixed economy format.
Last year the tender for the Hotel Casino Carrasco was finalized, and the winner, Spanish-French consortium Codere-Sofitel, operating as Carrasco Nobile, has started the refurbishment and equipment of a new casino with US $60 million investment.
Lately, Hotel San Rafael, one of the most prestigious and well located properties in Punta del Este, has been getting much attention from various national and international investors with the intention of refurbishing and operating as a modern casino resort. With a value of more than US$32 million, there already exist proposals to make use of the enormous amount of land fronting the beach of Playa Brava.
Playboy Club comes to Cancun
Playboy Enterprises, Inc has announced the opening of Playboy Club Cancun, a boutique gaming and entertainment venue that features a restaurant, nightclub, casino, sports gaming, and sports lounge. The new property is located in the renowned hotel zone district of Cancun, Mexico, and will celebrate its opening on Saturday, December 4, with an invitation-only VIP party for Playboy Club members and a red-carpet celebrity event.
The 12,000 square foot property, designed by Archon Design, incorporates influences from the original Playboy Club in Chicago with the jet-setting ambience of tropical Mexico. The venue’s intricate custom design details include an authentic Mexican hand-punched metallic wall featuring the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head Design, The new property integrates gaming with contemporary nightlife, and will showcase an international mix of DJs and musical entertainment. Playboy Club Cancun also boasts a restaurant with a tapas menu offering flavors from around the world.
Playboy Club Cancun will be owned and operated under license by Entretenimiento De Mexico S.A. De C.V., a leading Mexican casino company that operates and licenses over 18 gaming venues throughout the country under the Palmas group. The company and its subsidiaries serve over 2,500,000 players a year and also own and operate two restaurants. Entretenimiento De Mexico S.A. De C.V was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico.
“I am pleased to bring the Playboy Club to Mexico for the first time and to combine the sexy sophistication of the Playboy brand with the international allure of Cancun,” said Hugh M. Hefner, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. “With the opening of Playboy Club Cancun and the arrival of the Playboy Bunnies, nightlife there will never be the same!”
Dominican Republic’s Inland Revenue pushes for gambling law
In the Dominican Republic the authority charged with the welfare of children, young people and the family, the Coordinación Nacional de Niños, Niñas, Adolescentes y Familia (NNA), has announced the confiscation and destruction of 144 illegal gaming machines. They were removed from food stores as well as premises such as betting shops and billiard halls around the country.
Marisol Torba, head of the NNA, watched the demolition process that took place at the Dominican Naval dockyard in Santo Domingo. She commented, “In these places gaming machines operate illegally and permit access by those underage.” Torba added, “Gaming machines that are not properly authorized by the Home Office to operate in the places allowed under the law are being confiscated throughout the country by the Ministry of Welfare for Minors.
The tax authorities are seeking a law to regulate casinos, lotteries, sports betting and other gambling facilities. Germania Montás Yapur, director of the Inland Revenue (DGII), said that according to a recent study these businesses generated more than US$2.5 billion a year but contributed little to the state. She pointed out that there were around 30,000 betting shops in the country in the hands of about 1,000 owners who had become accustomed to managing the revenues without any supervision of the sector.
GLI authorized in Peru
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has long been recognized as the world leader among independent testing labs and now the company has achieved another milestone, becoming the first lab of its kind authorized to test systems for Peru. The “Qualified Entity” authorization expands GLI’s activities in Peru, where it has been testing devices since 1997, and further proves GLI’s commitment to the gaming industry throughout Latin America.
Manuel San Román, General Director of Casino Games and Slot Machines regulators, reporting to the Ministry of Industry –MINCETUR, said: “We are very satisfied that Gaming Laboratories International had achieved the accreditation before MINCETUR as a Qualified Entity for the evaluation and certification of the Unified On Line Control System model – SUCTR. This accreditation was done within the chronogram projected, which gives us the certainty that as of October 2011, we will have all the gaming halls of Peru interconnected to an efficient and modern management and control system. This way GLI becomes into the first Certification Entity to get accredited before MINCETUR, we hope this example will be followed by other certification laboratories in the following days. This important milestone is beginning of the next step that corresponds to the certification and homologation of the systems that will then be available on time for operators to choose the one that better suits their particular needs.”
GLI’s Latin American Development Manager Karen Sierra said, “Once again GLI has proven our commitment to the Latin American region, from both the regulatory and supplier points of view, by achieving certifications and complying with regulatory requirements to maintain and achieve our recognition and accreditations in every jurisdiction where our services are needed.”
