Chile may approve new casinos this month
At least the Arica and Viña del Mar casinos will be opened by January 1st, 2018.
Chile.- The Superintendence for Gaming Casinos will offer in May the possibility to enter to a bidding process for 7 casinos in different states, if the final project review is approved. Chilean municipal governments of Arica, Coquimbo, Iquique, Pucón, Puerto Varas, Puerto Natales y Viña del Mar will launch the casino concessions in order to open the new venues by 2018.
The gambling entity is establishing the rules for the bidding process that must be passed by national authorities. Currently, Chilean citizens can review the proposals and send their suggestions on the Superintendence’s official website. During the next weeks, the organisation will publish the approved rules and an inaugural resolution to start the concessions process.
“This new legal framework enforces objectivity and transparency in the process of awarding concessions, which also guarantees the maximum revenues for the state, regions and municipalities,” commented Daniel García, provisional superintendent for Gambling Casinos. According to the gambling law, the municipal casinos should start their operations by January 1st 2018. So far, only the Viña del Mar and Arica casinos could be opened by then.
The rest of the communities will have to build new complexes intended for gambling services. The regional authorities will keep their casino licenses until the venues began their operations in order to maintain the money flow that is expected to enter to the State. The law also establishes that the operators must take only 2 years to set the new casinos, with the possibility of extending the construction for one more year. “New casinos will generate a 46 percent of increment of tax revenues,” added García.
With the amendments of the new law and bidding rules, the Superintendence aims for a transparent process and objectivity in the adjudication of concessions. The gambling corporation will define the format and evaluate the methodology to assure the conditions that promote increased competition and reduce the entry barriers for new operators.
