Anti-gaming governor wants to phase out all track subsidies
The San Isidro and La Plata racetracks in the Argentinian province of Buenos Aires think revenues from slot machines can make up for lost government subsidies.
According to Games Magazines Brasil, the two tracks are lobbying the government for permission to install slot machines on their premises. Sources told the media that they want to add between 1,300 and 1,400 slots at each location.
Diego Quiroga head of the Association of Racetrack and Betting Agency Personnel told La Política that the proposal would not increase the number of slots in the province but redistribute the current allotment.
“The casinos and bingo halls on the Buenos Aires coast work well three months a year,” he said. “Bringing machines to La Plata and San Isidro means that they could be in operation for the rest of the months of the year.”
In February 2017, Buenos Aires Governor María Eugenia Vidal, a noted critic of gambling, announced that she would cut all subsidies to horse tracks after more than 10 years. The government of Buenos Aires could begin phasing out the subsidies in December according to a new law. There are five racetracks in the province, all of which receive annual subsidies: San Isidro ($410 million), La Plata ($410 million), Azul ($25 million), Tandil ($25 million) and Dolores ($18 million).
