Supplier News
Dominican Republic – Cirsa to expand in Dominican Republic
By Phil - 13 August 2015
Spanish operator CIRSA is set to increase their presence in the Dominican Republic with the acquisition of the Grand Victoria Casino in the city of Santiago.
According to company executives, Cirsa is currently working on several areas of remodeling, expansion, change and preparation for a comprehensive program designed to enhance the entertainment and the gaming offer in the establishment. Located in the second largest city in the Dominican Republic the Grand Victoria is one of the largest casinos in the country.
“We are working enthusiastically so that a grand re-opening will soon take place so that the whole society of Santiago and the Cibao region will come to get to know all about our entertainment offer . . . ” a company executive told local press. The Grand Victoria Casino will remain open at its regular hours from 10:00 am to 6:00 am.
Cirsa, which already operates three casinos in the Dominican Republic: the Hispaniola casino, the Lina casino, and the Grand Admiral casino, is already well known locally for offering good quality service in their establishments. Cirsa’s first venture into Latin America was in 1990 when it opened its first casino in the Dominican Republic.
Cirsa is making significant inroads into Central America this year. In May it was revealed that CIRSA had bought seven Thunderbird owned gaming operations in Costa Rica, including seven casinos, 21 gaming tables and 1,200 slot machines in exchange for US$33.5m.
The casino industry in the Dominican Republic, meanwhile, is already well developed. There are 11 casinos, which by law must be located in five star hotels in tourist zones. There are also two large-scale slot parlours.
In the Dominican Republic casinos pay taxes on a sliding scale based on how many tables are housed on the establishment with those with over 36 tables paying the highest amount (US$1,300 per table per month) and those with one to 15 paying the lowest amount (US$850 per table per month). However, illegal slot machines have proliferated widely over recent years and there are an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 illegal slot machines located in bars restaurants and small businesses and illegal slot parlours.
