Gambling expo action in the industry is coming very fast these days. As soon as we finished with the Caribbean Gaming Show 2014 in Puerto Rico in March, we find ourselves today, April 24, closing this edition in Bogota during FADJA 2014, a vibrant and very productive Show. And as if this was not sufficient, on May 7 & 8 we will be in Panama for the SAGSE 2014 event.
But we mustn’t grumble, because as the only global gaming magazine that covers all the world gaming expos we just have to continue to bring you everything that happens in the industry, both in these pages and in our sister title, Casino International Americano in Spanish, the language of Cervantes and Gabriel García Márquez, who recently passed away to take his place in Literature’s Olympus but leaves us with a wonderful legacy of some of the finest literature from our beloved Latin America.
On more mundane matters, however, we have a scoop that tells of Colombia’s gaming regulator Coljuegos declaring the winner of the tender for Paramutual Sports Betting, naming the company less fancied in the 2-horse race as the winner. At least that hot gossip item ran like wildfire in Bogota yesterday, April 23, after the first day of FADJA.
Cheers,
Ricki.
CHILE – SCJ announces four casino projects
At the same time that Chile’s regulators, Superintendence of Casinos, announced its selection of the four casino projects that go forward towards obtaining the last casino licence available in Proceso 2014, it also announced that three of these projects are for the city of Chillán – which hosted the last casino – and the remaining project is for the region of Arica. These are as follows:
Casino Luckia Arica S.A. (Corporación Empresarial EGASA S.L.): A casino with 350 slot machines, 12 tables games and 60 bingo places in an integrated resort with an 80 rooms 5-star Hotel, restaurants, bars, cafeteria, lounges, conference halls for events or shows, spa-gym, pools, Convention Centre, business centre, Craft Centre, exhibition hall, beauty parlour, underground parking, etc. The project includes the creation of 306 direct jobs, and has an investment of US$40.3 million.
Marina del Sol Chillán S.A. (inversiones Lomas de San Andrés Ltda. – Inversiones Ltda. Valmar – Clairvest Chile Ltda.): A casino with 450 slot machines, 20 gaming tables and 68 bingo places in an integrated resort with a 100 rooms 5-star Hotel, restaurants, bars, cafeterias and lounges, concert halls for events or shows, spa-gym, swimming pool, Convention Centre, Business Centre, Sports Centre, amphitheatre, shops, tourist information, craft centre, kiddies playing area, urban parks, Museum, Planetarium, water park, etc. The project considers the creation of 575 jobs and an investment of US$56.3 million.
Chillán Casino Resort S.A. (Invergaming Chile SpA – Boldt Chile SpA). A casino game with 400 gaming machines, 20 gaming tables, 60 bingo places in an integrated resort with an 86-rooms 5-Star Hotel, restaurants, bars, cafés, lounge, events or shows hall, disco, spa-gym, swimming pools, business centre, sports centre, amphitheatre, tourist information centre, Craft Centre, children’s play area, urban parks, Museum, art gallery, audio-visual room, music room, library, Observatory, etc. The project considers the creation of 346 direct jobs and an investment of US US$54.1 million.
Casino games Chillán S.A. (Claudio Tessada – Jaime Wilhelm). A casino with 500 slot machines, 20 gaming tables and 40 bingo positions in an integrated resort with a 104-rooms 5-star Hotel, restaurants, bars, cafeteria and lounge, events or concert halls, spa-gym, pools, Convention Centre, business centre, Amphitheatre, commercial centre, tourist information, craft centre, Exhibition Centre, kiddies play area, urban park, Museum, theatre, multimedia room, etc. The project considers the creation of 705 direct jobs and an investment of US$87.3 million.
BELIZE – Grand Belize Casino Hotel to open in Santa Elena
The Grand Belize Entertainment Group has been granted a gaming license and secured the location to operate the former Golden Princess Casino in Santa Elena, Belize. Grand Belize Casino Hotel plans to operate approximately 500 slot machines, 20 table games, a brand new 50-room hotel, over 20,000 square feet of events space, and multiple first class food & beverage offerings.
The location where the Grand Belize Casino Hotel is sited sees over one million visitors per year and is known for its popular duty-free shopping.
Michael Glauser, chief operating officer of The Grand Belize Entertainment Group, said, “We are excited to step in and operate in this location. Although there are still plans for a larger casino resort, opening in this current location allows the Grand Belize brand to place a foothold in the market. We look forward to making a positive impact on the local community, as well as Belize as a whole.”
The Casino Hotel will be co-branded with The Grand Belize Interactive division’s Online Casino. Guests will be able to redeem rewards and promotions at Grand Belize Casino Hotel and through Grand Belize’s Online Casino.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Hard Rock has one of the six best Caribbean casinos
Congratulations to the Hard Rock Punta Cana, one of only six casinos picked by USA Today as the best Caribbean casinos in the article ‘Game on: Caribbean casinos are hot’. The Dominican Republic has the largest number of casinos in the Caribbean and the Seminole Tribe of Florida opened its Hard Rock casino there in 2011, transforming the former Moon Palace Resort into a mega playground for gamblers and vacationers alike.
The Hard Rock Punta Cana casino is huge, covering 45,000 square feet. Since May 2012 it has been overseen by Jess Chavez-Munoz, casino general manager. According to USA Today, the gaming floor now ‘exudes a cool, sophisticated vibe well suited to the well-heeled patrons of Punta Cana’.
The other ‘best Caribbean casinos’ are: Atlantis, Nassau, The Bahamas; Stellaris Casino, Aruba; Casino Royale, Maho, St Maarten; Alhambra, Aruba; and El San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico. However from December 2014 there will be a new contender – the Baha Mar, also in Nassau, The Bahamas. This US$3.5 billion resort, developed with Chinese financial support, will offer the region’s largest casino floor at some 100,000 square feet. It may become the largest gambling Caribbean mecca but whether it will offer its patrons the great ambience and sheer excitement generated by the Hard Rock Punta Cana remains to be seen.
PERU – Industry leaders at Peruvian expo and Conference in June
Joe Lopez, CEO of Affiliated Marketing Group, organizers of The Peru Gaming Show 12th Edition to be held at The Jockey Exhibition Center in Lima, Peru on June 11th and 12th said: “PGS is shaping up to be better than ever.”
He added “Along with the returning industry leaders who have always supported us such as Bally, WMS, Merkur, Novomatic, Aristocrat, Konami, Spielo, Ainsworth, Casino Technology, DLV, Feral Electronics, Heal Technology, Gold Club and Odrex we are attracting many new exhibitors this year who see the potential of the Latin American market. Among them we welcome Baum Gaming, Zitro, Meridian Gaming, Casinos Foster, Win Systems, Bet Construct, Patir Design and Tom Horn, amongst several others. Please visit our web site at www.perugamingshow.com for a complete listing of all the exhibitors registered to date.
“Our International Gaming Conference scheduled for the mornings of the 11th and 12th from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M are also attracting a lot of attention. We have expert speakers covering topics of high interest to casino and slot room operators such as Customer Service, Marketing, On Line Gaming, Economic Overview of Latin America, Security, and Gaming Taxes and of course we will hear from our Director of Gaming Manuel San Roman, who always has interesting information to share.
“Our now famous opening night party to be held immediately following the show at 8:00 P.M. on the evening of the 11th is also en event everyone is looking forward to. We have booked the famous 12 piece orchestra of Fallo Muñoz for live entertainment and your dancing pleasure. The party will begin with the Miss Gaming Beauty Pageant and will have 4 open bars and Hors de Oeuvres”.
