Closure gambling industry would not become a reality in Ecuador

According to lawyer Joffre Campaña, this decree represents an evident contradiction to the present regime not just in this issue but in others. "One thing is the official speech and another one is the action of the government", says the jurist, who adds that you can see how these businesses keep on working in spite of the announcement that said that they are illegal.

"It is a reality because it hasn’t been any political decision to comply with the law or to close those gambling venues”, pointed Campaña.

He considers that casinos will not be closed, but supposes that they will force legal casinos and SRI to have a connection, "which is a magnificent opportunity to legalize the laundering of assets.”

Campaña explained that “dirty” money is laundered through the purchase of chips or gaming. When it is connected to SRI and declares part of the amount laundered, it officially goes to the State “which becomes an entity that tolerates and knows what is going on but does not have the decision to stop it”.

He pointed that, due to this type of situations, they warn about the possible money laundering with funds that come from drug dealing, through recommendations of international organisms, as the International Group of Financial Action (GAFI), that weeks ago excluded Ecuador from a list of countries in risk.

Without generalizing all casino users, the jurist emphasized that they could be perfect sceneries for money laundering because they operate in the country without any regulation or control.