Operator News
Paraguay – Paraguay to debate two new gaming bills
By Phil - 24 October 2017
Two key bills that would make major changes to Paraguay’s gaming laws are now up for debate in the Chamber of Deputies.
Government proposals would give the Executive branch the right to grant licences throughout the national territory, with prior approval given to it by Paraguay’s Gaming Board (CONAJZAR). Paraguay’s gaming laws, which date back to 1997, would be changed so that casinos would be allowed throughout the entire territory in order to generate more income for the state, create jobs and boost the tourism industry.
The law currently in force limits casinos to the departments in Paraguay where casinos can only be permitted in those with a population of more than 250,000 inhabitants. These are Alto Paraná, Itapúa, Amambay, Cordillera, Misiones and the Central department while only more than one casino is currently allowed in capital Asuncion. The proposed changes were put forward by conservative lawmakers Mario Cáceres and Óscar Tuma.
CONAJZAR has for some time been lobbying for more licenses. In January 2017, The President of Paraguay’s Gaming Board Javier Balbuena announced that a bidding process could soon be launched for a number of new casino licences. The licences would, he said, be available in the main cities of the Central Department. The Central Department is the smallest but most highly populated of the 17 departments of Paraguay. Additional casinos could also be permitted in cities such as Luque, which is nearby to capital Asunción as well as in Fernando de la Mora and Lambaré.
Meanwhile, members of the opposition party are proposing that government owned land or property should not be used for the site of a casino. This could be key when it comes to the future of the proposed casino on an eleven-hectare site owned by the National Administration of Navigation and Ports (ANNP) in Ciudad del Este. Opposition has been growing for some time to the new project. The ANNP property is located at the head of the Friendship Bridge (Puente de la Amistad) – an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este.
The bill was put forward by Deputies from the Authentic Liberal Radical Party (PLRA) Amado Florentín, Édgar Acosta, Jorge Ávalos Mariño and Celso Kennedy. Amado Florentín first presented the new bill back in August saying that Paraguayan rules when it comes to granting gaming licences were highly restrictive and added that the use of state property for casinos was not in keeping with Paraguayan gaming laws.
