For instance, the machine manufacturers must be cheering the Montevideo Government, which has decided to cancel the erroneous policy of renting slot machines for the Municipal Casinos in Uruguay’s capital city. A slot machine purchasing programme starts in Montevideo this month to replace hundreds of machines in the local casinos.

Also, Swedish online company Betsson has announced it will continue its global expansion by establishing the region’s first subsidiary in Peru. Betsson has more than 900,000 registered clients and offers a full range of gambling and betting products.

I don’t know why I’m telling you this, when you can read all about it below. Cheers,

Ricki.        



THREE CASINO TENDERS IN ARGENTINA
In Argentina local lottery organizations are in charge of gaming licensing for casinos and bingos and in the North Western province of Chaco, Loteria Chaqueña has announced that both local and foreign companies can buy the tender documents to bid for three casinos, in the municipal districts of Charata, Castelli y General San Martín.

During the presentation of the tender programme, the governor of the province, Jorge Milton Capitanich, said that the winning bids should allow royalties in favour of the province of at least 30 per cent. He emphasized that if private operators failed to come to terms with Loteria Chaqueña’s expectations, the casinos would be operated by this organization on a private basis.


BOLDT SET TO BUILD CASINO IN BRAZIL BORDER
Argentine company Boldt has informed the Buenos Aires SE that it has entered into a partnership and formed a company in Paraguay to build and manage a hotel casino complex. The 7 Saltos Company has a share capital of US$3.2 million and will build, equip and operate the casino in Salto del Guaira city in Canendiyu province, on the border with Brazil. Casinos are outlawed in Brazil and most of the gamblers there travel to casino properties in Uruguay and Argentina.
In partnership with the Argentine company Worest and the Paraguayan American Gaming, Boldt said in a statement that they were not worried about the remote location of their property: “There is no geographical protection for the business, and if another company wishes to set up shop next door, there is nothing we can do. The project is very interesting to us because of its proximity to Brazil.”
Boldt owns Casino Trilenium, which is the only casino in Buenos Aires province and some 50 miles away from the city centre. Casino Trilenium is the largest entertainment centre in Latin America with live shows and restaurants. Last September, Boldt in association with Spanish Grupo Peralada, the largest operators in Catalunya, opened the first casino in Melincué, in Santa Fe province.


TEN COMPANIES IN CHILE CASINO TENDER
At the end of the first stage of Proceso 2008 in Chile, for the submission of applications for three new casino licences, the Gaming Board (SJC) announced that it has received ten proposals and the areas that are of interest to the prospective international and local investors are Coquimbo, Maule, Los Lagos and Aisen.

There are 15 casino projects authorized under a previous process that are now under construction around Chile, with the first due to open later this year. The next stages of Proceso 2008 requires the formalization of proposed projects, with the Prequalification of investors and technical evaluation of plans to take place from 1 April until 30 July, before the projects are presented for assessment by the appointed Council, which is a due diligence process to be completed by 30 August this year.


STORM STIRS UP COSTA RICA
After news reports that Russian operators Storm International had plans to open a casino in Costa Rica, the Minister of Justice Laura Chinchilla said: “I’m sick of this piece of news. They are not welcome. It’s as simple as this: No way.” Well, I expect that Michael Boettcher, Storm International CEO, has been told ‘no way Michael’, many a time in his life, but the “No way José” that comes from San Jose, where the Costa Rican government is sited, was just totally unexpected.

Indeed, Minister Chinchilla added that: “Another of our great worries is that money laundering hides behind gaming, and unfortunately Russia has not set the best standard on this matter. (Gaming) is not the type of business that Costa Rica seeks to promote.” However, the UK-born casino operator is not likely to take things lying down, and while right now the politicians seem to hold the aces, their job is really a passing one. More permanent is the resolve of business people like Boettcher, whose decision to invest in Costa Rica may have not only the playing deck’s suits in the air, but the legal ones as well.

Some people say that mad monk Rasputin couldn’t have done to the Russian gaming industry what Vladimir Putin has done, but as this is now Volga water under the proverbial bridge, Russian operators and manufacturers have to seek pastures new, and Costa Rica seemed like the right place for Boettcher. The country is like a placid lake for Storm to set sail when the Putin law kicks in next yet.

Nonetheless the attitudes of Chinchilla and Benavides do have merit, if they are serious about money laundering control. However, to attack Storm on the basis of questionable legislation or practices in Russia is not the right thing to do. If the Costa Rican ministers seek to protect their country, they must espouse a change in the current gaming legislation, where casino games are permitted in the guise of convenient euphemisms and Habeas Corpus rulings issued by local magistrates.

Neither Storm nor any gaming company seeks to ruffle the placid waters of one of the most stable Latin American countries, but in a market economy investors will seek opportunities in countries such as Costa Rica. It ill behooves such countries or its officers to label investors before they have a chance to present their credentials.


PERU GAMING SHOW 2008 SET
FOR AUGUST
As an economy with average 7 per cent  growth per year over the past few years, Peru is poised this year to host two major international summits and, of course, the sixth Peru Gaming Show, PGS 2008, in Lima.

With major investors taking advantage of great tourist business opportunities in Peru, after its legendary Machu Picchu citadel was universally voted as one of the Modern Wonders of the World, the country is getting ready to host the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union (EU - LAC) next May, with the participation of 60 world leaders.

During August 7-8 the PGS 2008 takes place in Lima, and after a visit to the London show, Elizabeth Leiva, the event organizer said: “The Peru Gaming Show offers you the possibility to expand your business to all the South American gaming markets. This includes Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina – legal markets that are in expansion now, and will need in the near future more than 80,000 gaming positions to be replaced”.

Back in mid March, the Asia Pacific Economy Cooperation (APEC) Forum started meetings in Lima, which continue throughout the year in several cities around the country as a prelude for the Summit PERU APEC 2008 from 16-23 November, where the presidents of 21 countries including the USA, Japan and China will discuss this year’s theme: “A new commitment to the development of the Asia-Pacific”.

Leiva concluded: “Our organization is willing to help your company as needed, in order to have your presence in Peru. Our country has one of the most stable economies, safer than ever, and is the gastronomic capital of Latin America. There are so many reasons then, to discover Peru by visiting the Peru Gaming Show.”

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend