Two-thirds of the Chilean casinos experimented a change in ownership in four years

The interest of Enjoy chain in acquiring the 70% of the property Casino de Rinconada, controlled by Salguero Hotels Chile, generated changes in the ownership experimented by the new casino industry, that, from 2006, incorporated 15 new gambling venues to the existing ones in the country.

The numbers of the Casino Superintendence demonstrate the following: 10 of these 15 new casinos in operation have already changed their partners, it means, two-thirds of them.

Besides, of the 15 casinos, just three have not requested changes since licenses were granted in 2006: Enjoy Antofagasta, Gran Casino de Talca and Casino Termas de Chillán. The authority approved 11 changes in the percentage of shareholders in a total of 10 casinos; three requests were withdrawn (when Enjoy tried to incorporate to the ownership of Dreams, from Fisher family) and another change is present in pre-qualification -Casino Sol Calama-, so, in case this modification or the one announced by Enjoy takes place, 12 of 15 casinos would have change its ownership (80%). This way, the industry believes that, in the long tern, these will be concentrated in a few operators, in order to take advantage of the economy of scale. "It will come the moment when the casino industry will be  managed by three, four or five operators,” pointed George Garcelon, general manager of Monticello.

Francisco Javier Leiva, casino superintendent, said that new foreign partners will be incorporated, such as Citigroup and Dreams and Canadian investment bank Clairvest to Casino Marina del Sol, in Talcahuano. "Local partners that had a minority equity have sold their participation, such as (José Manuel) Urenda in Casino Gran Los Ángeles and (Gonzalo) Torre in Casino de Juegos del Pacífico", commented Leiva.

The number of shareholders has increased: originally there were 19 investors and now there are 22. However, there are actors that increased their importance nowadays: Clairvest, for example, wants to enter to Casino Sol Calama, with the 50% of the property -now controlled by Latin Gaming, with the 100%. The Canadian group is already in Marina del Sol (50%) and in Casino Sol Osorno, where they have the 50% together with Latin Gaming.

Another important firm is Enjoy, belonging to Martínez family, which operates seven casinos in the country: Enjoy Antofagasta (75%), Casino de Colchagua (40%). They are also owners of the casino that is being built in Castro and operate the traditional local tenders of Coquimbo, Viña del Mar, Pucón and Puerto Varas, the latter, together with Fischer group. Now, they aim to obtain Casino de Rinconada.

"In order to authorize the entry of a new partner, there are no considerations on if it affects the concentration or not,” points Leiva, who remarked that any new partner requires the SCJ authorization.