{"id":11614,"date":"2025-05-06T13:23:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/?post_type=gambling&#038;p=11614"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:23:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:23:28","slug":"montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race","status":"publish","type":"gambling","link":"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/colombian-gambling-news\/montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Montevideo looks for a new casino operator amid heated political race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montevideo\u2019s upcoming municipal elections have reignited debate over the future of the Casino Municipal Parque Hotel, the capital city\u2019s only gambling venue operated under local government control. The issue has gained political momentum, with candidates proposing fundamentally different paths for its future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Bergara, candidate of the progressive Frente Amplio, stated on May 1st during a business event hosted by the Asociaci\u00f3n de Dirigentes de Marketing (ADM) that the casino should no longer be under the city\u2019s management. Instead, he supports transferring it to Uruguay\u2019s national casino regulator, the Direcci\u00f3n Nacional de Casinos. This proposal would not only ensure job stability for over 50 employees but also align the casino with national oversight standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/landing\/multigame-link\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"340\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/ice-london-termino-y-se-despidio-la-feria-en-imagenes-mgl-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/ice-london-termino-y-se-despidio-la-feria-en-imagenes-mgl-1.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/ice-london-termino-y-se-despidio-la-feria-en-imagenes-mgl-1-300x102.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/ice-london-termino-y-se-despidio-la-feria-en-imagenes-mgl-1-768x261.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe casino today is outdated and inefficient. It operates solely with slot machines, and generates far less than its potential,\u201d Bergara emphasized. In 2023, the venue posted an operational deficit of over $87 million Uruguayan pesos (approximately $2.2 million USD). This shortfall adds to the mounting pressure for structural reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11616\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race2.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race2-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montevideo, home to approximately 1.3 million people, represents nearly one-third of Uruguay\u2019s population. Analysts estimate that a well-managed casino in the city could generate upwards of $10 million USD annually in gross gaming revenue, potentially contributing over $3 million in annual tax income for public projects, based on current national rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/colombian-gambling-news\/uruguays-dgc-greenlights-new-slot-only-casino-in-maldonados-atlantico-shopping\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Uruguay\u2019s DGC Greenlights New Slot-Only Casino in Maldonado\u2019s Atl\u00e1ntico Shopping\u201d\u200b<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mart\u00edn Lema, the leading center-right candidate from the Coalici\u00f3n Republicana, proposes a more radical option: permanent closure. Citing financial inefficiency and lack of social return, Lema argues that Montevideo should not subsidize gambling losses at the municipal level. The debate is not only fiscal but ideological: whether local governments should directly operate entertainment and gaming services, or whether privatization and centralization offer a more sustainable model. As Montevideo heads to the polls, the future of the casino may serve as a barometer for broader national reforms in Uruguay\u2019s gambling policy\u2014and could open the door to international operators if a new administration seeks external proposals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Montevideo debates the future of its only municipal casino as election candidates propose transferring control to the national government or closing it entirely. Revenue potential, regulatory reform, and public finance are at the heart of Uruguay\u2019s latest gambling controversy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11617,"menu_order":151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[57,4853],"class_list":["post-11614","gambling","type-gambling","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","tag-casinos","tag-uruguay","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Montevideo looks for a new casino operator amid heated political race - Mundo Video Entertainment | Casino News in Latin America and the World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Montevideo debates the future of its only municipal casino as election candidates propose transferring control to the national government or closing it entirely. Revenue potential, regulatory reform, and public finance are at the heart of Uruguay\u2019s latest gambling controversy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/colombian-gambling-news\/montevideo-looks-for-a-new-casino-operator-amid-heated-political-race\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Montevideo looks for a new casino operator amid heated political race - Mundo Video Entertainment | Casino News in Latin America and the World\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Montevideo debates the future of its only municipal casino as election candidates propose transferring control to the national government or closing it entirely. 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