Operator News
Peru – Peru’s casinos won’t reopen until August
By Phil - 14 April 2020
According to President of the National Chamber of Tourism Carlos Canales Anchorena, casinos will not reopen until August. While the government plans a gradual reopening of the tourism sector, casinos will be the last sector to open to the public the Minister claimed. Casinos will be opened as part of the “Tourism for All” programme which will launch in July.
In an interview with magazine Caretas the minister admitted that the tourism sector was currently “in intensive care.” While large scale inbound tourism will be closed this year apart from possibly business travel he said he was optimistic that domestic tourism will see an upsurge later this year.
“The Minister of Production (Rocío Ingred Barrios Alvarado) has indicated that some measures will be taken in phases one, two and three. Our sector is in phase three. Thus, we will rejoin on June 15, when the health emergency ends.”
Gaming comes under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (MINCETUR). Anchorena said that social distancing measures will be lifted in three phases. The tourism sector is included in phase three, which begins from June 15, when the health emergency is expected to end. Casinos and slot parlours come under the last stage of the revival program, and only in August will casinos be able to open.
“The casino and slot machine sector is the most supervised sector of all tourist activities, generating 10,000 jobs. That sector is, according to the Minister of Production, in the last stage and in August it will be reinstated,” he said.
Peru has begun enforcing strict new measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease. Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra passed a controversial measure to control the pandemic on April 2nd, quarantining men and women on different days of the week.
