Projects must be complete within two years
Casino del Lago S.A., also known as Enjoy, has won four new gaming licenses from the Chilean Gaming Board, or SJC. A fifth license was awarded to Entretenimientos Iquique S.A, also called Sun Dreams, in what SJC Superintendent Vivien Villagrán Acuña called “a milestone” for the industry.
“With the authorization of these venues, we will move towards an industry regulated by a single legislation, taking all the casinos to common standards and supervised by the SJC,” she said. “This situation is a big step for the development of the industry and directly benefits the local community and casino customers.”
Undersecretary of Finance Francisco Moreno agreed, calling it “great news for the regional governments and municipalities that have these casinos.”
Enjoy won licenses in the communities of Pucón, Puerto Varas, Coquimbo and Viña del Mar. Sun Dreams was awarded a license to operate in Iquique.
The licenses have a term of 15 years, reported CDC Gaming Reports. The companies must develop their respective projects within two years, and may request extensions, which will be granted if the circumstances warrant.
There was some opposition to the decision. Marina del Sol, which operates several Chilean casinos, believes the market is already saturated and the projections for the additional casinos are overestimated.
