Grupo Meier renews push to suspend Chilean casino tender

Peruvian casino operator Grupo Meier has renewed its request for Chile's Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia (TDLC) to suspend the tender process for four municipal casinos.

The bidding includes the Viña del Mar casino, which is being retendered following Enjoy's early exit as operator.

In the filing, the company argued there are no legal guarantees for the bidding process to move forward while the tribunal has yet to rule on challenges to the tender's technical requirements. 

Grupo Meier asked the TDLC to halt the process until at least a hearing scheduled for September 9, despite bids being due on August 11.

The latest filing follows a motion for reconsideration submitted by Dreams after the TDLC rejected an earlier request to suspend the process in a separate consultation brought by Marina del Sol. Both cases challenge aspects of the tender rules that the operators argue could restrict competition.

Patricia Leal Barros, a law academic at Universidad Central, said the companies are seeking judicial review of the tender's technical conditions rather than the bidding process itself. According to Leal, the legal challenge reflects concerns that some of the requirements could create barriers to competition.

The September 9 hearing will include the Municipality of Viña del Mar, Marina del Sol and Chile's Fiscalía Nacional Económica. Grupo Meier argued that the hearing should take place before bids are opened, while Chile's casino regulator has maintained that delaying the process could affect the licensing timetable and public revenues.

Diego Valerio, President of the union representing workers at casinos previously operated by Enjoy, added that the arrival of a new operator should not jeopardize employees' job continuity.

The submission of technical and financial bids for the casino licenses in Iquique, Coquimbo, Viña del Mar and Pucón remains scheduled for August 11 at the offices of the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego in Santiago.