Authorities in Rancagua, Chile, found a gambling venue operating despite a closure order in force since 2023.
A joint patrol of municipal officials and Carabineros, Chile’s national police, detected the activity during a morning inspection in the city center. Officials found the venue operating again and activated the corresponding protocol before issuing a new closure order.
Carabineros detained the administrator, who was caught in the act, and placed her at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was part of Volvamos al Centro, a plan run by the Municipality of Rancagua to strengthen security, inspection, recovery of public spaces and formal commercial activity in the city center.
The municipality said coordination with Carabineros reinforces inspections of establishments operating outside current rules.
The case follows other actions in the city this year. In July, the municipality and Carabineros closed eight illegal casinos operating slot machines in the historic center.
Mayor Raimundo Agliati said the municipality would keep carrying out such operations as part of permanent control work. In August, a new inspection round closed another illegal gambling venue and checked compliance with earlier closures.
On September 24, a joint patrol found 92 gambling machines behind a false wall in a cosmetics shop and detained a 38-year-old identified as the administrator.
Chile’s gambling regulator, the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego, has said it can only supervise gambling inside legally authorized casinos and cannot oversee machines operating illegally.
In May 2023, Rancagua launched a campaign to close slot machine venues operating without municipal permits, under the administration of then-mayor Juan Ramón Godoy
