Argentinian casino workers' fund falls to lowest level in 25 years

Collections for the Caja de Empleados, a benefit fund financed through casino revenue in Argentina's Buenos Aires province, have fallen to their lowest level in 25 years, according to the union representing casino workers.

The union attributed the decline to weakening consumer spending amid the country's prolonged economic downturn.

Marcos Labrador, president of the Asociación de Empleados de Casinos Nacionales (AECN), said collection levels had reached their lowest point since Argentina's 2001 economic crisis. "This is not just a statistic; it is a concrete sign of the severity of the economic situation facing Argentine workers," he said.

According to AECN, the Caja de Empleados reflects consumer spending because its collections depend on activity at provincial casinos. Labrador said wages are increasingly insufficient to cover basic living costs, leaving many families reliant on debt. As more household income is absorbed by food, rent, utilities and debt repayments, discretionary spending declines, reducing activity at casinos.

AECN also criticized the provincial government for what it called a lack of response, arguing that while Buenos Aires does not set national economic policy, it still has a responsibility to support the sector, including through modernizing casino operations.

The union renewed its call for the introduction of electronic payment methods and QR-based transactions in casinos, a request it has made for over a year and a half. 

It said the change alone would not reverse the broader decline in consumer spending but would offer an immediate way to support both state revenue and worker income.

The complaint follows months of labor tension in the sector, including a strike threat earlier in the year and a mandatory conciliation process in a separate dispute in April.