Casino workers in Mar del Plata have reported a decline in patron numbers and betting volumes during the current summer season compared to the previous year, a trend that is affecting employee wages and provincial tax revenues.
Roberto Páez, General Secretary of the Association of Administration, Maintenance and Casino Services Workers, indicated that activity at Casino Central de Mar del Plata is concentrated primarily on weekends, with weekday traffic comparable to winter months despite the summer season.
Páez said: "The season has peaks on weekends and, starting Sunday afternoon, the number of people drops considerably." He noted that betting volume has also decreased significantly.
The decline in activity is attributed to the growth of online gaming following the pandemic, which allows patrons to wager from home without security concerns or travel requirements. Workers have also cited the casino's lack of modernization, particularly the failure to implement QR code payment systems that unions have been requesting for over a year.
The payment technology would eliminate the need for patrons to carry cash, though Páez acknowledged that authorities claim the system is being processed but has not yet been implemented.
The reduced activity directly impacts worker compensation, as portions of employee salaries are tied to casino performance. The situation also results in lower fiscal revenues for Buenos Aires Province.
Workers presented their concerns to Carlos Bianco, Buenos Aires Province Minister of Government, who had announced the QR payment implementation in Mar del Plata over a year ago and committed to personally expedite the system's deployment.
Union representatives rejected the salary proposal in the most recent provincial collective bargaining session and requested an urgent sector-specific negotiation for casino workers to address structural problems affecting the industry.
The casino's operational challenges have generated concern among workers regarding economic impact and prompted specific demands to provincial authorities.
Roberto “Chucho” Páez is the general secretary of the Association of Administration, Maintenance and Casino Services Workers in Mar del Plata and a long-time union representative for employees at the city’s land-based casinos
