Argentina: The decree of bingo and slot licenses extended in Buenos Aires province

With the decree published January 26th in the Official Bulletin, the operation of bingo and slot halls with deadline between 2008 and 2011 was renovated for a new period without calling to a previous tender process for its granting. The gambling halls that took benefit from the measure are: Mar del Plata; Mar de Ajó; San Martín; Moreno; Quilmes; Avellaneda and Zárate. Within bingo halls of Buenos Aires province, slot machines are allowed.

During 2010, the business game will have an average of us$ 2,087,910, of which just a third belongs to the state. Representatives of Coalición Cívica said the resolution was "scandalous" and threatened to appeal to the court.

Representative Martello warned that “with this renovaction, the governor not only rook money from Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development, but also increased the treasury of the Regional Institute of Lotteries and Casinos”, an entity that they considered "little controlled.”

In case they appeal to court, the norm dictated by Scioli could be considered  unconstitutional, someting that did not happen at a national level with casinos and race-tracks.

The government of Buenos Aires justifies this extension due to “the technical impossibility to do the immediate hardware and software refill with regards to the deadline of the contractual instruments in force”.