internationalcasinoreview News
motionstabled ARGENTINA
Strikes by workers in the state-owned casinos of Argentina’s
Entre Ríos
region saw the venues closed before the New Year and afterwards. The cause: a decision by the body that operates the casinos, IAFAS - the Institute of Financial Assistance for Social Action, to bring in a private company as a partner to operate a VIP room and the gaming tables in the Casino de Victoria. IAFAS said that it has no intention of privatis- ing the casino and that the move is about “improving the management of gaming f loors” and will not affect the position of casino staff. ATE, the union represent-
ing public workers, has exploded in rage, claiming that it is the back door to pri- vatisation and that “it will lead to money laundering and drug trafficking”. Workers went on strike
for two days before the turn of the year, then again on January 2. They were due to go back on January 10 but decided to continue their action until at least January 12 or until the government and IAFAS explain their actions. Protests that turned violent were held outside the Howard Johnson Hotel and the Casino de Victoria on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 January.
One employee Jorge
Alberto Vasquez told the local press: “Lamentably, the police worked together against the workers in Victo- ria - the state should defend the interests of the workers and the common good not
Rinconada gets deadline extension The Superintendent of Casinos in Chile has given Casino Rinconada an 18-month extension for the completion of works at the resort in the Valparaíso region. A five-star hotel, health centre, convention centre, business centre and restaurants were originally mandated to open by the end of 2010, four months after the casino began operations. However, last February’s earthquake disrupted the schedule considerably, as both construction companies and materials have been urgently needed elsewhere.
SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
Casino workers protest against private-sector involvement
Mendoza and Chubut casinos see tax hike
moretopay ARGENTINA
Two jurisdictions in Argentina have suddenly increased the tax rate for casinos in their areas. In Mendoza City, capital of the western Mendoza province, the city council passed an ordinance on the last day of 2010 to impose a levy charged on the casino for services, trade and site inspection of 500,000 pesos (E97,160).
Councillor Hugo Molina Workers at Casino de
Victoria continue to be unhappy at the involvement of a private company in table game operations
Riots and stubborn statism have greeted a move by the public operator of casinos in Entre Ríos province to bring in a private operator at Casino de Victoria’s gaming tables. It wants to reverse losses at the tables that started the moment the casino was opened.
use force to protect private interests that are detrimen- tal to the people of Entre Ríos, such as the privatisa- tion of gambling.” Following the protests,
IAFAS put out a detailed statement about its decision: “The board categorically denies that its actions or aims are intended bring about the privatisation of gaming in this jurisdiction. We deny emphatically that the board has any intention to alter the employment status of any
September opening for Coyhaique casino
IAFAS staff member. We absolutely deny that these measures will affect the sta- bility and security of either present or future employ- ees. We categorically deny having taken any decisions that may be considered to have violated the basic prin- ciples of co-existence and social peace. We categori- cally deny the adoption of measures contrary to the spirit of the law that created IAFAS or that in any way threaten exclusive police
southernpromise CHILE
Casino Dreams Coyhaique, the 16th casino to be authorised under Chile’s 2005 gaming law, will open in Sep- tember, the operator has announced. According the Fischer Group, which owns the project in the south- ern region of Patagonia, the con- struction phase is well on its way to completion. In accordance with the terms of the concession, the casino will open first, followed by the five- star hotel, a convention centre, restaurants, spa and other facilities in November. Entrepreneur Claudio Fischer said: “This project is a fact. We’re here. So now we will be able to meet the deadlines under the casino law.”
30 February 2011 • south&centralamericannews
powers in relation to gaming. We affirm the man- agement’s policy is to max- imise results to allocate them to fulfil their specific pur- poses, namely social action.” It added that table games in Casino de Victoria had made a loss ever since the venue opened, and had now developed into a clear deficit. Last year, table games in the casino generated almost 14m pesos (E2.7m) less in the previous year. “We do not see it is in our
The casino itself will cover an
area of 1,120sq m and feature 150 slot machines, three poker tables, three roulette tables, two blackjack tables plus one table each of punto banco and mini-craps. There will also be 76 bingo positions. The hotel will have a floor area of 2,100sq m and 40 rooms. Fischer said: “This is a world-
class project that comprises a five- storey building with a total of 7,050sq m, with an architecture that fuses the traditions of the region and it particular climate. It uses typical materials of the area in its design and construction details, such as stone and native wood, as well as all the comforts of the latest technologies, all for entertainment and relaxation.”
working principles to sit on our hands watching one of our casinos go into deficit even before the opening of competition from other provinces.” The new arrangement will see the creation of VIP room run jointly by state employees and by a private concession with control belonging to IAFAS - arrange- ments identical to how the slot machines are operated in Casino Mayorazgo and in Victoria itself.
proposed the move, taking for inspiration a levy imposed on Casino San Carlos in 2010 of 360,000 pesos (E69,950). He argued that the Casino Mendoza is the highest grossing in the province. About half the funds raised will be kept in city coffers with 40 per cent going to community organisations and ten per cent to pay for weekend health cover in districts where there is none. Meanwhile, in the
southern province of Chubut, the government has decided to raise casino turnover tax from ten per cent to 12 per cent in the 2011 budget. Economy minister
Victor Tanker said: “Our aim is to increase the tax burden on sectors that have the capacity to con- tribute.
How Casino Coyhaique will look by the end of the year
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