Chilean government would allow casinos in cruises

(Chile).- In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Economy will send the Chilean Parliament a bill to authorize the casino operation in big cruises that enter to the country.

2010-08-27

United States

Reading time 1:33 min

The current Casino Law from 2005 forces vessels with foreign flags to close their gambling halls once they enter in Chilean territorial waters -12 miles (22,2 km) from the coast- and to remain in that condition during the time they are docked.

According to the head of Economy, Juan Andrés Fontaine, this has been a key factor in the decreasing trend that the arrivals of big cruises have performed in the country in the last two years. Between 2009 and 2011, this number will complete a decrease of 228 to 155, corresponding to a 32%.

"There is no good reason to maintain this restriction when the vessel is sailing. We believe it is worrying because it is a key factor for our competitiveness as a touristic country, because we are talking about visitors with a high purchasing power,” points the head of Economy.

Fontaine says that the legal modification will adhere to the authorization of the casino operation while travelling in the Chilean sea. So, the restriction will be maintained when the cruise is docked.

Between last year and 2011, the number of passengers will decrease a 52%, from 306,000 in 2009 to 144,000 in 2011, and the expenses of tourists in the country will decrease from us$ 19 million to us$ 9 million in the same period. According to the Ministry of Economy, the ministry is also working in additional modifications to incentivate the cruise industry.

The first one seeks to revise the charges for buoys and lighthouses that the Army of Chile executes for the effect of the navigation of the cruises in the waters of the country. "The aim is to charge what corresponds for that service, that certainly has a value for its complexities. We want to assure that the charge is in normal levels and that there is no overcharge”, says Fontaine.

Besides, the ministry is analyzing the current charges for the use of the services of the port and its corresponding regulation. "We have compared the costs in Chilean ports versus the charges abroad and in Chile their are higher", says Fontaine.

He points that in Valparaíso and San Antonio the cost of the port is 30% more than in countries like Argentina. "It is because both have had full capacity and there is precisely an expansion prokect for both ports, that will face the problem”, affirms the Ministry of Economy.