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Read Full BioThe gaming regulator of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has called for bids to modernize seven casinos in the province.
Per an official release from the Buenos Aires Provincial Lottery and Casino Institute, the move will help boost the “competitiveness of the province’s casinos.”
The casinos in question are located in Necochea, Miramar, Tandil, Sasso, Hermitage, Mar de Ajo, and Sierra de la Ventana.
The regulator’s President, Gonzalo Atanasof, signed a resolution to promote the call for tender. All seven casinos are currently operating with an extension on their concessions.
Buenos Aires Casinos Set for ‘Modernization’ Bids
The regulator said successful bidders will be invited to sign 20-year operating agreements with one-year optional extension clauses.
The regulator will begin to review tenders from bidders at midday on July 8 at its headquarters in La Plata. The Institute wrote: “We expect bidders to invest in building improvements.” It added that bidders would need to “modernize gaming rooms and slot machine offerings and promote competitive entertainment venues.”
The regulator also wants the operators to provide year-round dining and entertainment offerings.
Atanasof called the move “a fundamental step for the modernization and competitiveness of the province’s casinos.” He said the tender call was “based on a commitment made in conjunction with the province.”
The Institute chief said that the move would “guarantee the continuity of employees and improve their working conditions.” Atanasof said it would also help “capitalize on the tourism and entertainment potential” of all seven casinos.
Necochea Wrinkle for Province’s Plans?
However, the bidding process for the Necochea casino could yet hit a hurdle. The city’s Mayor Arturo Rojas told the media outlet Ecos Diarios that Necochea has been pursuing an outright sale.
He suggested that the tender documents may need to be modified to specify that the modernization of the Necochea casino’s gaming room and the operation of its slot machines were a key condition for the casino’s sale.
The municipal administration, Rojas said, “intends to finalize” the sale deal. The media outlet wrote that it was “clear that the new bidding process to attempt the sale of the casino property will take place in six months, once the question of who operates the slot machines has been resolved.”
The Mayor insisted that the tender call from the Province was “very important” for the city. He also said that “there are high expectations, because apparently some parties are interested [in submitting bids].”
The call comes amid wider gaming sector business expansions in the wider Latin America region.
Many companies have also expressed an interest in branching out into the markets in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.
