However, we shall be back in the region for the SAGSE GAMING & AMUSEMENT PANAMA 2008, during June 12 and 13, as reported below. With investments on the up in the region, it’s important to note that on the northern tip of South America Guyana’s president Bharrat Jagdeo has announced construction of a 200-room five-star casino hotel complex in the country with investment of US$52 million to open in 2010.

In Mexico, Grupo Caliente, leader in the betting sector, opened the biggest of its gaming rooms in Tijuana on the premises of the former Agua Caliente race track. Group president Hank Rhon, ex-mayor of the city, announced his intentions of making Caliente one of the world leaders in the gaming industry.

During the inauguration party extravaganza with the presentation of world renowned Cirque Du Soleil, Rhon confirmed the steady growth of Grupo Caliente, which is 100% Mexican owned, based on growth in more than 15 countries in Latin America and Europe. 
 
Further south, the Government of Venezuela has announced that casino and bingo licences shall not be issued during the next three years. Nonetheless, it also reports multi-million dollar increases in gaming tax contributions from casinos and bingos.

At the other extreme of South America, Trump Investments has announced intentions of investing other people’s money in casino hotels in Arica and Mendoza, in Chile and Argentina respectively, but then it would not surprise us if the Donald announces a JV with the same Chavez of oil rich Venezuela. Uff!

Cheers,

Ricki.

FULL SUPPORT FOR
SAGSE PANAMA 2008
Israel Martinez, General Manager of Panama’s national lottery, has pledged his organization’s support to SAGSE Gaming Panama Expo & Congress, scheduled for June 12 and 13 in Panama City. Additionally, every local gaming institution has also pledged its support to the most international exhibition of  Central America and the Caribbean area.

The SAGSE Panama organizers are undertaking a bold marketing campaign around the Central American and Caribbean area in order to guarantee the presence of visitors from the most outstanding gaming operations. Panama has numerous new gaming projects and operations on land, sea and ‘air’. Grupo Mall is opening one of the most luxurious and important casinos, Colon Casinos is also opening and there is a regular renovation of gaming rooms.

Alan Burak, Expo Manager said: “By sea there are companies such as Casinos Austria with their cruises, Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager and Silversea’s Silver Shadow sailing across the Panama Canal.” Last but not least there is the strong presence of online gaming and sport books, showing US$26.3 million in bets in 2007, around 88 per cent more than in 2006 US$14 million, according to the Panama Gaming Control Commission.

Most of the leading gaming companies will be represented at the SAGSE Panama event, including: Novomatic, Gaming Partners International (GPI), WMS Gaming, Euro Games Technology, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), Global Cash Access, Gold Club, Mei Group, Orion Gaming, R. Franco America, Signs4U South America, Spin, Suzo and Unicum Gaming, among others.


TWO NEW CASINOS FOR URUGUAY
The winner of the public tender for a casino in Uruguay should be known by now, as the ministries of Tourism and Economy announced that all submissions would be open by 22 April. The tender was for the construction or renovation of a four-star hotel casino in the city of Rivera in the northern region of the country right on the Brazil border.

According to the tender rules the contract term for the winner would be 15 years for the construction of a new complex building. However, if the project offers to refurbish and enhance the current hotel, the licence is for 30 years. State royalty is 1 per cent of the investment total, and the operator must employ at least 90 per cent local Uruguayans.

In Montevideo, Myles McGourty, vice president of Hyatt Latinoamerica said that the luxury hotel chain is set to take part in the public tender of legendary Hotel Casino Carrasco, indicating that top executives of Global Hyatt Corp. will visit the Uruguay capital city this month to view the property that lies on the Atlantic, close to the airport.

Hyatt’s intention is to develop the 1920s property in association with local Grupo Liberman, whose director Horacio Esposito said that they have already been working on the Carrasco project for the past eight months on the design and refurbishment plans with specialist gaming professionals and architects.
    
RECORD US$17.7 MILLION GAMING TAX IN VENEZUELA
According to the 2007 Financial Report issued by Venezuela’s Ministry of Tourism, the Customs and Excise Service (Seniat) collected a record US$17.7 million in local Bolivars currency from the bingos and casinos that operate in this South American country. The total gaming tax collected was a 13% increase on 2006.
The Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) has predicted a further increase for 2008 to around US$21.4 million.   The amount will ‘support the development, strengthening and consolidation of non-gaming tourism’ in Venezuela.   During 2007 the National Casino Commission placed greater emphasis on the eradication of illegal gaming and 23 operations were closed.  
Recently Venezuela has announced an Executive Bylaw to stop the issue or renewal of gaming licences for three years and has introduced measures to curb gambling. Slot machines can no longer be imported into the country and it is no secret that the closure of all bingos and casinos is the aim of the present government.

TASK FORCE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL BETTING IN PUERTO RICO
After the announcement made last week that illegal gaming in Puerto Rico was moving millions of dollars each year, the Gaming Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the regulatory body, has declared that a task force to combat the problem is being assembled. Héctor Rivera Dávila was emphatic that the country would take the necessary steps to end the social and economic damage done by illegal gaming operations.

During the conversation that we had, Davila confirmed that: “Clandestine gaming must be eradicated so that the government can capitalize on legal operations of all types of gambling – the lottery, horseracing, casinos and lotto. The exchequer loses millions of tax dollars because of illegal gaming. It is time that all government departments unite their efforts to close down illegal operations, and we are presently undertaking this.”

Local newspapers reported comments by Colonel Adalberto Mercado, head of the Vice Squad, who said that seven days a week illegal gaming was happening at underground casinos, sporting events and horse races, and also on Dominican lottery draws, fairground roulette and unlicensed slot machines. In Puerto Rico, as in the United States and other countries, what may have started in communities as small time betting on numbers games or similar has become the province of organized crime and local mafias.

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