Under intense international scrutiny and criticism the Andorran Gaming Control Board (CRAJ) has reversed an earlier decision to grant the sole license to operate a casino in the small Pyrenees principality to a local company Jocs SA.
CRAJ issued a statement that it had found “deficiencies” in the document the local-based Jocs provided last summer. It stated it had been reevaluating the license since that time. It found that Jocs did not follow the regulations and conditions as set out by the tender (request for proposal.) The board also found differences between the architectural presentation first made and the one later validated by the Architects Association of Andorra in December. Items missing from the second included elements that had helped win the bid.
Although the board says that it has been investigating the bid since summer, the action comes after the French gaming group Barrière and the Andorran company Lleure 3D filed lawsuits challenging the award and requesting an “urgent suspension” of the award.
Jocs has been given a month to appeal the decision. CRAJ noted that although Jocs won the bid, it failed the second phase: being granted the license.
Jocs issued a statement claiming its offer had fulfilled all requirements and promised to file an appeal.
Originally five gaming groups challenged the awarding of the license, including Austria, Genting, Partouche, Barrière and Cirsa. Four had requested the Andorran executive to suspend the licensing process until the appeals were resolved. The appeals also requested the “complete nullity” of the license award.
Last month Barrière ratcheted up the pressure by announcing that it had discovered irregularities in the process and filed a lawsuit.
As winner of the license, Jocs had committed to build and run a casino with all of the investments coming from the country. It planned to build in the capital city of Andorra la Vella.
