Chile declares casino licensing processes vacant

Chile’s Casino Gaming Superintendency confirmed that it has terminated the evaluation of casino license applications submitted for the municipalities of Coyhaique and Ancud.

The decision was made after determining that the applicants did not fully comply with the requirements set out in the applicable technical guidelines.

According to the resolution released by the regulator, the technical evaluation phase ended for three applications filed by Rio Simpson, Casino de Juegos Coyhaique and Sociedad Mirador Hueihuén. The bids covered one national casino permit and one permit reserved for the Aysén Region.

The Superintendency’s Resolutive Council concluded that the applicant companies failed to meet the legal and regulatory standards required at the technical evaluation stage. Under Chilean gaming regulations, non-compliance with these requirements constitutes sufficient grounds to halt the licensing process without advancing to subsequent evaluation phases.

Rio Simpson and Casino de Juegos Coyhaique had applied for authorization to operate a casino in Coyhaique, located in Chile’s southern Aysén Region. Sociedad Mirador Hueihuén, meanwhile, applied for a casino license in the municipality of Ancud, in the Los Lagos Region.

The regulator confirmed that new licensing processes will be launched for both vacant slots in accordance with Law 19,995 and its related regulatory framework. No timeline was provided for the opening of the new application rounds.

The decision delays the allocation of casino licenses in two southern regions where Chile’s regulator has sought to expand gaming operations through competitive permitting processes. The vacant procedures represented potential entry points for operators seeking to establish casino facilities in areas that currently do not host licensed gaming venues.