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Necochea to reopen as Boldt’s casino licenses renewed

By - 28 May 2024

The president of the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos (IPLyC) Gonzalo Atanasof has met with the mayor of the coastal city of Necochea  Arturo Rojas to discuss the future of the casino complex. During the visit, Atanasof toured the gaming hall and the abandoned complex with local authorities. Fernando Hansen representatives of the Casino Administration, Maintenance, and Service Union (Gremio de Administración, Maestranza y Servicios de Casino) discussed the future of the casino with Atanasof who said that since December, the IPLyC has been working with Governor Axel Kicillof  to find a solution for the casino’s future.

Rojas emphasised that there was a need to separate the tenders for a number of other complexes in the province from that of Necochea confirming that local lawmakers would wait for the province’s other casino tender deadlines first. They would then seek to modify the terms to include the auditorium as a concession and sell the rest of the complex in order to transform it into a development and entertainment area.

Earlier this month the Buenos Aires provincial government, through the (IPLyC) extended the contracts for a number of casinos in the province including the Tandil Casino, Miramar Casino, Annex III Casino of Mar del Plata (Hotel Hermitage), Mar de Ajó, Annex I Casino of Mar del Plata (Hotel Sasso), and Sierra de la Ventana Casino. The new extension is until December 31, 2024. The IPLyC has agreed to extend the contracts with Boldt. For now, Boldt’s licenses will be valid until December 31 of the current year, but it is expected that the operating authorizations will continue to be updated with the same company.

In parallel, a meeting was also held at the Central Casino of Mar del Plata, where the new tender process was discussed. Hansen commented that the permits for slot machines had been extended to Boldt while the new terms are being drafted. He emphasized that these terms will be different from those of the previous administration and that each casino will have its own tender. This advance could mean a turning point for the long standing conflict of the Necochea Casino Complex, opening the possibility of resolving the bidding for the slot machines and revitalizing the area.

In March Governor Kicillof expressed his commitment to reclaiming the Necochea Casino Complex. During a visit to the city, he held a press conference addressing the building’s status. The casino was closed down by the 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.

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