Chile’s gambling regulator, the Superintendence of Casinos de Juego (SCJ), will hold a key public hearing on Monday, January 19, 2026, as it restarts the tender for a new casino operating permit in Puerto Varas (Los Lagos Region). The session is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the SCJ’s offices in Santiago (Morandé 360, 4th floor).
At the hearing, interested companies must submit two sealed envelopes: a technical proposal and a separate economic offer. The economic bid is then held under custody at BancoEstado, while the technical package goes to a technical evaluation committee that has 120 business days to score submissions under Chile’s casino-permit rules, including legal checks and verification of the origin and sufficiency of funds.
The process was originally launched in April 2025 (SCJ Exempt Resolution No. 398) and later delayed by 90 days via Exempt Resolution No. 913 (October 2025). SCJ said the postponement aimed to ensure adequate competitive conditions and allow time to analyze available land after Puerto Varas’ local zoning plan (the Plan Regulador Comunal) was modified in July 2025.
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Financial and delivery requirements are significant. Industry reporting on the tender documents sets a minimum investment commitment of UF 61,234 (around CLP 2.434 billion) for the integrated project. The new permit would run for 15 years, and the selected operator must build and open within two years from the award resolution, with a one-time extension option of up to 12 months for casino works and up to 18 months for other project facilities.
The bid also carries local-impact obligations, including a minimum annual guaranteed economic offer of UF 5,000, investment in urban pedestrian shelters (UF 5,000–UF 5,500), and a commitment to offer jobs to 80% of the current Dreams Puerto Varas casino workforce, subject to the tender’s conditions.
