SCJ supports the project to set policies against gambling problems in Chile

Some days ago, It was known that the Chilean Senate approved a project to avoid gambling problems. What is your opinion on the matter? Do you think it is beneficial?
Yes. Last July 1st, the Senate sent the documents to treat in the House of Representatives the motion of the law presented in September 2008 by Senator Ricardo Núñez, with the aim to establish that the 18 operating casino societies that comprise the new industry and the 7 regional tenders must prevent the gaming addiction, through the exhibition of warnings similar to the ones currently shown in Chile for cigarettes and alcohol.

The current Law of Casinos does not include neither the prevention of gaming addiction nor the promotion of responsable gaming, so I think the initiative presented by representatives is of key relevance, considering that this new industry has 18 new casinos distributed in 12 regions of the country, on top of the 7 already exising local casinos.

Which will be the role of the Casino Superintendence with regards to this project?
From last March, the Casino Superintendence (SCJ) has been participating as a technical councellor in the legal procedure of the bill, an instance in which we affirmed that it is necessary that Law Number 19,995 points that the 18 new casino operators have to ellaborate and implement plans of programs to prevent gambling addiction, as well as to promote responsible gaming.

Our indications to the project point that the plans or programs will have to be issued to SCJ for their approval, with a maximum deadline of 30 days and, in case any observations are made, the operating society will have to solve them within 10 days. Besides, the Superintendence will be able to give instructions to operating societies, with the aim to assure the effective application and implementation of the plans or programs approved, as well as to set criteria of general application for the prevention of gambling problems and for the promotion of responsible gaming.

We also affirm that the plans and programs will have to consider, at least, the delivery of leaflets to the public, in order to inform about gambling problem and the boost of responsible gaming, as well as the release of such information in signages in casinos as well as in their respective Web sites.

Besides, What is the current situation of the casino tender process?
Last August, we concluded the first regulated opening of the new casino industry in the country, with 18 integral projects located along the country, with a regional investment of us$ 743.4 million in total and the generation of 9,400 direct employments and 17,000 indirect employments. Of the 18 new casinos, 13 are already operating in Antofagasta, Calama, Copiapó, Santa Cruz, Mostazal, Talca, Pinto (Termas de Chillán), Talcahuano, Los Ángeles, Temuco, Valdivia, Osorno and Punta Arenas. Casinos in San Antonio and Rinconada have a maximum deadline of August 29th to start operating, and projects in Ovalle, Castro and Coyhaique, are in their initial phase of development.

Could you make a balance of the operation and profitability since the opening of the new casinos and how did it affect each region?
In the following weeks we will release the operational results of the first semester of the current year, with regards to the 13 casinos that are currently operating. So far I can inform that the 8 casinos operating in 2008 –Enjoy Antofagasta, Gran Casino de Copiapó, Casino de Colchagua, Monticello Grand Casino, Gran Casino de Talca, Termas de Chillán, Marina del Sol and Casino Gran Los Ángeles- generated a total of us$ 25.8 million in gross incomes and us$ 4.3 million in concept of tax gaming, of which half of it was allocated to regional governments and the other half to the councils where they are built, to be used in investment developments. Total visits were 547,440, with an average expenditure of us$ 46 each.