Operator News
Argentina lawmaker wants casinos moved to ski resort
By James - 18 June 2024
Councillor Leandro Costa Brutten has presented a draft ordinance, co-authored by his counterpart Julieta Wallace, in the Municipal Council of Bariloche, which aims to remove casinos from the centre of the city in the province of Río Negro and move them to the ski resort of Cerro Catedral.
According to Costa Brutten, this is not a “prohibition,” but a relocation to make them “exclusively associated with the tourist offer.” This way, “gambling addiction in Bariloche is decisively confronted and a regulation is established that discourages the daily loss of family income in gambling,” he said in statements to local press.
Currently, two establishments operated by the company Casino Club, under provincial concession, are operational in Bariloche. The initiative seeks to reconfigure the “gaming halls” sector, which currently has no geographical restrictions.
The Casino Club locations are situated in the city centre. If the proposal is approved, Casino Club could legally oppose it, as the company has the right to operate throughout the city without restrictions until 2040 and has a fixed provincial fee of USD 4.2 million, a payment that will be allocated to the construction of the city’s new bus terminal.
Co-Author Councillor Wallace, on the other hand, stated that she would request her name be removed from the initiative, as she does not fully endorse its content. She also promoted another project to regulate online betting advertising to protect young people and adolescents from gambling addiction.
Regarding the casino prohibition project, she commented that “it will be necessary to debate its scope very carefully because there is a commercial license and a provincial concession that are in force, and also due to the potential conflict that could arise with the employees.”
In response, Costa Brutten maintained that “although the concession is provincial, the zoning of commercial activities in the city is a municipal authority.”
In March, Casino Club workers in Bariloche held a protest demanding better wages. According to Costa Brutten, these demands are proof that “the current exploitation scheme does not guarantee its sustainability.”