Puerto Rico has licensed three new casinos, all to be operational sometime in 2022. The casinos will be in the cities of San Juan, Dorado and Ponce. The commission says they will generate around 325 direct jobs and provide an important source of additional income for the government.
The Condado Plaza Hilton’s plans to operate a casino on the premises once again have already been endorsed by the commission. The casino will house more than 300 slot machines along with dozens of gaming tables. The investment is estimated to stand at about US$33 million and will generate about 200 direct jobs. The casino in the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan closed in 2015.
The other two hotels seeking the endorsement of the commission are the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Dorado, the Del Mar Beach Resort in Dorado and the Tribute Portfolio Ponce Grand Casino in Ponce. The Embassy Suites closed its former casino in 2014, and the Hotel Ponce Intercontinental is to reopen after being closed for 45 years.
The board has endorsed one casino and is currently evaluating two other license requests. “We will evaluate these requests with rigor and the highest sense of responsibility towards investors, players and the people; that will benefit from the reactivation of tourist areas,” said Commission Executive Director Orlando Rivera.
