State casinos have about 5,000 slot machines. Casinos Director, Javier Cha, attended the Finance Committee, to explain the policies of regulating slot machines, and the general policy on gaming industry.
Cha dismissed the possibility that the government creates a bill to regulate slot machines, and reminded that the initiative in this area is not exclusive to the national government. He called on parliament to take the initiative.
Casinos Director explained that there is no an exact record of the number of machines in the country, although it is estimated that in August last year were about 18,000 machines, while others believe that the number has already exceeded 20,000 throughout the country.
According to Cha, many of these machines are in retail business, and that it is limited the number of gropus that manufacture and distribute them. He estimated that each machine generates close to us$ 160 a week, which is distributed half to the owners of the machines and the other half for local owners.
Meanwhile, the national deputy Jorge Gandini said that the Director of Casinos explained in Committee that a bill drafted by that agency and agreed with the Ministry of Economy was submitted to Presidency for submission to Parliament, but that it was never sent. This project, he added, was announced a year ago.
Gandini also said that Cha admitted the existence of a project to create a regulatory unit of all kinds of games, which is preparing at national government level and that will gather from authorities from powers lotteries and casinos to horse races and all kinds of gambling.