Montevideo, October 2025 — Newly appointed Montevideo mayor Mario Bergara has announced his intention to transfer control of the Parque Hotel municipal casino from the city government to Uruguay’s National Directorate of Casinos, under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The proposal marks a significant step toward centralizing casino management across the country under one national regulatory framework.
In a press conference last Thursday, Bergara stated: “We are going to propose a dialogue table so that the only municipal casino in Uruguay, the one run by the Intendencia de Montevideo, can move to the same sphere as all other casinos — the General Directorate of Casinos.”
The mayor explained that both casino employees and municipal officials had already been informed of the initiative, emphasizing that the proposal seeks administrative coherence rather than confrontation. “If we were designing the city from scratch today, no one would suggest that a municipality should manage a casino. It’s a historical legacy, but now we are in a position to discuss transferring it to the appropriate jurisdiction,” Bergara said.
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The announcement comes after years of controversy surrounding the casino’s management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the municipal government reportedly paid over 500 hours of overtime to casino staff while the venue was closed, sparking criticism from opposition leaders and national media. According to figures published by El País, 55 employees received overtime payments totaling 214,000 pesos in 2020 and 284,000 pesos in 2021, despite limited or suspended operations.
Former National Party candidate Martín Lema had previously called for the casino’s closure, demanding accountability for “unjustified payments” and greater transparency in municipal finances.
If approved, the transfer would align the Parque Hotel casino with Uruguay’s other state-managed venues, potentially enhancing oversight, auditing, and fiscal consistency across the country’s gaming industry.
