Casino de Antofagasta inaugurated in Chile

President of the Resolution Council of Casino Superintendence (SCJ), Financial Deputy Minister María Olivia Recart, and Casino Superintendent Francisco Javier Leiva, authorized yesterday Enjoy Antofagasta (Enjoy-I.Simunovic) to open its doors to the public for the following 15 years, it means, November 11th, 2023.

The sixth project inaugurated of the new casino industry has an investment of us$ 61.7 million and the generation of 847 direct permanent employments; it has 700 slots, 41 table games and 320 bingo positions, on top of a bar and a restaurant. It also considers a five-star hotel with 92 rooms, a show center and a convention center. The casino will operate Monday to Thursday from 12:00 PM to 05:00 AM, and continued schedule from Friday 12:00 PM until Monday 05:00 AM.

Leiva said that: “Enjoy Antofagasta complies with the regulation set by SCJ so new casinos apply in Chile with technical transparency standards of developed countries”. He pointed that “on top of the fact that the gaming material was authorized by SCJ, it also controlled that all games of chance machines are new, with instructions in Spanish, and that all of them guarantee to its customers a percentage of the prize for the player, not less to 85% of the total of combinations of possible plays”.

The 20% of the gross gambling incomes that must pay the new casinos –a tax game- can just be invested in development work to benefit society. The superintendent explained that “estimations point that, for November 2009, Antofagasta council and the regional government would have received almost us$ 2,876,215 each, in concept for the specific tax game”. He added that “in the new industry, resources received cannot be allocated to expenses fro the local or regional government, because the current law determines that they must only be invested in development work for the direct benefit of the people”.

In the following months, and up to March 16, 2009, Enjoy Antofagasta will continue with the rest of the work associated to Ruinas de Huanchaca –three museums, theather and public spaces.

Of the 18 new casinos of the new legal industry in Chile, next Thursday 13th it will be certified and inaugurated casino Talcahuano, and the project that is in the verification project built in Talca council. Casinos that are currently operational are: Pinto -Termas de Chillán-, Los Ángeles, Copiapó, Santa Cruz, Mostazal and Antofagasta.

During the first semestre of 2009, there will be inaugurated casinos in Calama, Temuco, Valdivia, Osorno and Punta Arenas; and the second semestre, Rinconada and San Antonio. Besides, the last three authorized casinos in 2008 are in the initial stage: in councils of Ovalle, Castro and Coyhaique.