Montevideo advances casino handover as officials reassure workers

After the City of Montevideo moved forward with plans to transfer Casino Parque Hotel to the National Directorate of Casinos, Mayor Mario Bergara said the change would not put the jobs of the property's approximately 50 employees at risk.

Camilo Benitez, Director of Economic Development for the City of Montevideo, said the city expects to close the agreement by mid-August or September. Under the arrangement, the city will not transfer its gaming license to the ministry but will instead sell part of the casino's equipment and lease the building to the national government.

Benitez said: "They will have their own license and their own slots. We will sell them some of the slots, a remainder, but they already have newer machines." The ministry has separately opened a process to define the operators that will run the casino going forward.

A resolution signed by Bergara also removed casino manager Lorena Infante from her position, citing the pending transfer, and reassigned her to a purchasing management role. The city said Infante will continue working on the transition to ensure continuity during the change of administration.

Regarding the roughly 50 staff currently employed at the casino, the city has held talks with the union since last week. Benitez said most employees are of retirement age and have been offered a retirement incentive, while those who decline will remain employed by the city in roles yet to be determined.

The transfer has faced opposition from the Partido Nacional's Montevideo committee, led by senator Martin Lema, who has repeatedly called for the casino to close, citing financial losses and a lack of transparency over its viability. 

Lema has also criticized the ministry for not responding to information requests about the casino's future. Previous tenders for slot machine and software contracts at the property were declared void before being awarded to ICM.