After 40 years of operation, the Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico has closed. The seaside property laid off 144 workers, and is yet another blow to the economically struggling territory.
The casino operated 24-hours and will probably turn into a ballroom, according to managing director Raul Bustamente. “We now want to focus on areas where we’ve had good business: rooms and banquets,” Bustamente said.
The closing marks the seventh casino to close in the past five years in Puerto Rico, which has a population of 3.5 million people and an unemployment rate of 12.6 percent. Some have blamed what is estimated to be 45,000 illegal gambling machines, which are spread across the island. There are now 20 casinos in operation on the island.
