2400 slots are intended to be authorized in Cordoba, Argentina

The aim of Governor Juan Schiaretti is to increase the collection from the gaming sector from current us$ 1,324,519 a month to us$ 3,237,713, as a consequence of more machines and the new tax that came into force last August.

The General Secretary of the Government, Ricardo Sosa, explained that the bill will be put to the consideration of the mayors. He assured that slots will be installed or added as long as the Local government demands so, and it will be performed under the current legal norm, where the only city that is excluded is the capital city.

He added that they aim to collect money for social developments. The province collects from a sector that wants to gamble. It gambling is illegal, the money is used for other purposes, as it happens now in Santa Fe. Cities of the interior have a direct benefit for slots: a 3% of the net collection.

Currently, slots are operated by Compañía de Entretenimientos y Turismo (CET), that belongs to Roggio Group. CET operates in Cordoba since December 2002 and has the monopoly to operate for 20 years, and could be extended to 25. Authorities of the company said to the newspaper that “they didn’t know the initiative”.

Of the net collection of slots, Roggio pays a fee of 27 % plus other 3 points that must be invested in hotels. Of that 27 %, 24 points go to the Lottery of Cordoba, and the remaining three to the mayors with slots.

However, since last August, the game was taxed with a fee of 3 to 5% on the prize paid, so to increase to 80 % the number of slots will also be to increase the income that the province will receive.