Supplier News
Argentina – Mendoza closes third casino for failing to attract tourists
By Phil - 12 January 2017
The Governor of the province of Mendoza Alfredo Cornejo has closed Casino de Mendoza La Consulta, located in the town of La Consulta.
The casino was granted a licence ten years ago, with the aim of attracting tourism to the area. However government officials have argued that the casino has done little to attract tourism and has instead increased gambling in the town which only has a population of 8,000.
It is the third casino that has been closed in the province recently after both the casino in the district of Uspallata and the casino in the district of Eugenio Bustos were also forced to close.
The latest closure means that around eighty people will now be out of work according to the Union of Public Employees (Sindicato de Empleados de Casinos). However as the casino is state run half of this amount will be found other jobs for the state as they are public employees.
The new closures are the result of a distinct shift in government policy when it comes to gaming. All three closures have come within one year of Governor Cornejo assuming office. In June 2016 it was announced that the government had decided not to extend the licences of at least three casinos in the province because they were not meeting the gaming board’s objectives of attracting tourism and generating income. In addition last year saw considerable controversy surrounding the operation of the Condor Casino in Mendoza. The casino Condor was initially closed for ten days on July 12 by The Institute of Gaming and Casinos, (IPJyC) of the province of Mendoza due to debts and non payment of fines and penalties but was able to stay open after a deal was reached with the governor and other local officials.
However gaming is still extremely popular in the province. Last month it was revealed that the public and private casinos operating in the province collected a total of $168,225,919 pesos in November according to data provided by the IPJyC. The Regency Casino came in first place raising $29,626,131, followed by Enjoy Mendoza Casino ($26,680,089) while Casino de Mendoza Sede Central came in third place ($19,591,430). This was followed by Casino Arena Maipú Arena ($19,108,562) and Casino Condor de los Andes ($17,798,939). In last place came the Casino Fuente Mayor of Tunuyán ($1,037,155).
Mendoza now has 5,100 machine slot machines currently in operation the third highest in Argentina, putting it behind the City of Buenos Aires (which has just over 6,000) and the province of Buenos Aires (which has almost 22,000).
