The Chilean Superintendency of Gaming Casinos (SCJ) declared the process to award the future casino in Puerto Varas, Los Lagos Region, void after excluding the two submitted proposals; Inversiones y Turismo Puerto Varas S.A., linked to Dreams, and Sociedad Quiquilhue S.A., associated with Corporación Meier. The decision was formalized through Exempt Resolutions No. 821 and No. 822 dated August 11, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette on August 18.
The SCJ determined that both companies failed to fully comply with the legal and regulatory requirements established in the Technical Bidding Terms. The process had begun on April 17, 2025, through Exempt Resolutions No. 394 and No. 398, and was later amended by Resolution No. 400 dated April 21, clarifications issued in June, and Resolution No. 672 dated July 17, 2025.
The tender was also suspended for 90 days under Resolution No. 913 dated October 10, 2025, following changes to Puerto Varas’ Municipal Regulatory Plan. The final submission of bids took place on January 19, 2026, at the SCJ headquarters in Santiago.
Dreams submitted its bid through Inversiones y Turismo Puerto Varas S.A., while Corporación Meier competed through Sociedad Quiquilhue S.A. The latter challenged its exclusion and said it had invested more than US$1 million in structuring, architecture, engineering and applications for Puerto Varas, Coyhaique and Chiloé.
The original bidding terms included a Minimum Guaranteed Economic Offer of UF 5,000 per year for the Municipality of Puerto Varas, additional investments of between UF 5,000 and UF 5,500 in urban infrastructure, and employment continuity requirements for part of the workforce at the current casino.
The SCJ, headed on an acting basis in August 2026 by Eduardo Cáceres Guzmán, must now open a new process under Law No. 19,995. In the meantime, Dreams Puerto Varas will continue operating under the former municipal regime until a new concessionaire is selected and ready to begin operations.
