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Chile – No changes to Circular 62 as Gaming Board keeps Chile tender on track

By - 17 October 2016

The head of the Chilean Gaming Board (SJC) has reported that Circular N° 62 will not be modified this year.

The circular outlines the SJC’s policy when it comes to the technical standards for slot machines as authorised under Law No. 19,995 and states that new casinos may only house slot machines which are either brand new or have been manufactured within the previous two years and have not been used.

The board said that it had made its decision so that the process of granting the municipal casino licences, which began in May, would not be affected by any abrupt changes to gaming board policy.
According to a statement: “The board has evaluated the change to the circular which has been in force since April 7, 2015, after a request was made from the industry. However the body adopted the decision to postpone its revision having analysed the comments which it received on the two occasions (May and September this year) when the norm was put up for consultation . . . ”

According to the board it soon became apparent that there “were opposing views concerning the effect its modification might have on the granting of licences particularly on those processes which are already underway.”

As a result the board decided that now was not the time to change gaming rules “because it could affect the principles of competitiveness that should be safeguarded in the seven open processes for licences especially considering that it is less than a month before the Audience for the Presentation of Offers which will be held on November 4th.” As a result it said that Circular N° 62 will remain “in force and without changes.”

The seven new licences are available after President Michelle Bachelet signed into law new regulations, which extend the licenses of the seven municipal casinos. The new rules extend the licenses until December 2017 in the districts of Vina del Mar, Arica, Iquique, Puerto Varas, Coquimbo, Pucon and Puerto Natales, which all expired on December 31, 2015. Once these licences expire the statute provides that from that date onwards, those municipalities will continue to be a home to a casino for a total of three periods of 15 years each and the new casinos will come under the supervision of the SJC.

Interest has been growing in investing in the municipal casinos especially the casino located in Viña del Mar. In May Head of the SJC Daniel García told local press that now that the Chilean Gaming Control Board (SJC) has published the requirements for the upcoming tender process one American, three Latin American and a Chinese company could apply for a licence for the municipal casino licence. Viña del Mar is undoubtedly the most emblematic of all the municipal licences. The minimum financial bid for the casino will be US$22.3m.

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