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Argentina – Argentina to investigate Jujuy gaming licenses
By Phil - 22 June 2016
The Chamber of Deputies in the province of Jujuy, located in the northwest of Argentina, has approved a new law which calls for a major review over gaming contracts granted under the previous administration.
The new law also creates a special commission composed of four members of the executive branch and four members of the legislature, who will be will tasked with investigating contracts and licensing procedures. Deputy Alberto Bernis told press that the rise of gaming in the province had become a growing cause of concern amongst lawmakers and the general public.
Plans to investigate how gaming licences had been handed out were announced last week. Deputy Alberto Bernis told press that the governor of the province Gerardo Morales had instructed deputies to look into the issue.
“We are concerned about the way in recent years permits to operate slot machines without any control have been handed out,” said Mr. Bernis.
The commission will have broad powers, and will be responsible for the monitoring of contracts, concessions and will look into how gaming has been managed over the last twenty to thirty years. The special committee will also investigate the administrative procedures for granting licences to slot parlours as well as other types of gambling and if irregularities are found they will take the appropriate legal action. “We’re going to check that everything is within the law, how concessions were granted, if it was a legal process, the terms of the contract, compliance, resolutions, ordinances, ultimately,” Bernis said “we will put things in order.”
After the new law was passed Deputy Germán Noro said that gaming “must be strictly regulated by the state.” Meanwhile Head of Provincial Infrastructure Jorge Rizzotti said new slot parlours were “taking away what little the poorest have.” Slot parlours, he said had been granted licences by the previous administration which he said was a “corrupt model (of government) in all areas. I am certain that there were irregularities in the awarding of contracts for that reason all of them should be closed,” he said.
