Operator News
Argentina – Necochea casino could still be sold
By James - 7 December 2023
The mayor of Necochea, Arturo Rojas, told press that he was looking at the possibility of resuming the sale process of the once well known Necochea casino on the Atlantic coast. However it could be some time before the sale is launched and it will depend on a number of factors.
“There are issues that do not depend directly on us. The settlement of slot machines depends on the Province, through the Lottery and Casinos (institute),” he said. “We will see now, with the rearrangement of officials, what the decision of the Province is, which will surely be to advance in the bidding (for the slots), which will open a door for us to be able to make a new call for bids from the municipality,” he told the television programme El Ciudadano.
“The political decision is the same one we had back in 2020, looking for investors from the municipality that will allow us to recover and rebuild it, in addition to carrying out urban development with private financing and funds,” he said.
The government has been trying to sell the complex where the casino is located for three years and two tenders have failed. The casino reopened in January 2023 under the control of the local government for the summer season and during limited hours only after three years of negotiations and building work.
One potential investor is local operator Casinos Victoria According to local press, authorities from the firm Casinos Victoria visited the spa city and toured the casino’s gaming room in April.
Necochea is located in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province on the Atlantic coast and the casino is one of the city’s landmarks. Constructed in 1973 and located on the beachfront the building also houses cafes, a shopping arcade, a bowling alley, a bar, a billiard room, a skating rink as well as the casino. The Complejo Casino is one of the city’s most iconic buildings but it has been beset by problems. The casino was closed down by the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC) and was temporarily housed in a nearby theatre in 2015 for urgent repairs as the building posed a safety risk. This was after two tourists fell from the railing of a balcony. It was the third time the casino has been shut down having also been shut down in 1988 and 1994. Part of the complex was burnt down in 2020.
