Chile Fights Illegal Casinos in Concepción

For months, the Chilean city and commune of Concepción has been plagued by illegal gaming establishments. Despite being aware of the issue since at least October, the municipal government had not done much to act on this problem until now. However, thanks to multiple complaints, action is finally being taken to rid the area of “casinos populares”.

Various powers have been fighting illegal casinos in Concepción, Chile, but with little government support until now. Killari Hotaru/Unsplash

History of the issue

The so-called popular casinos of Concepción are illegal gaming establishments that have somehow proliferated the city despite efforts by local authorities to close them. The problem came to a head in October 2022, when complaints were launched against between five and eight such establishments, though it had already been discussed publicly as early as September 2022.

It was an unusual case because the problem was widely known and yet no urgent action was taken. At the time, Christian Democrat councilor Boris Negrete called out Mayor álvaro Ortiz Vera for the lack of action. Councilor Daniel Pacheco was also vocal about the matter, confirming that the establishments had to be considered illegal since they had not been granted proper licenses.

Finally, Chamber of Commerce president Sara Cepeda also called for help from the municipal government. Cepeda asserted that the delay may have been caused by the Comptroller’s Office due to connections between some within the office and those running the illegal establishments.

Part of the issue was Decree Law No. 3,063, which deals with patents for entertainment and gaming machines. A proposed change to the law would have given local authorities more power to act directly against illegal gaming, but the change was also not picked up immediately.

The fight continues

Now, authorities in Concepción are aware of at least 15 illegal gaming establishments. Deputy mayor Aldo Mardones confirmed that these popular casinos will finally be closed with the help of the courts. Mardones also spoke to two cases in particular.

Recently, two illegal casinos were closed down with court intervention. A seal was put on the doors of the two locations to say legal action is in progress and to prevent anyone from entering. However, the seals had been broken. Mardones explained that this is a punishable crime, which actually may help authorities take stronger action against the casinos.

The Concepción Guarantee Court confirmed that the 15 complaints made against popular casinos would be admissible in the court. Though the government has not indicated that any raids have taken place on the locations, there is hope that increased discussion and these steps by the court will lead to the shut down of all illegal gaming locations soon.

A renewed attempt to change the law

When it comes to Decree Law No. 3,063, some progress has also been made. Deputy Frank Sauerbaum, who spoke for a change in the law, has again presented the matter within the government. President of the Internal Government commission, Marta González Olea, heard Sauerbaum’s plea on behalf of the bill.

Sauerbaum asked that the change to the law be considered in this current commission. He also explained within a text he recently presented that this decree has been in process since September 2021. However, it has actually had initial approval by the Senate for nearly 10 years.

Considering the Chilean federal government’s interest in cracking down on online gaming, it is somewhat surprising that such a lag is present when it comes to this municipality’s illegal casino dealings. Chile is currently reviewing plans for regulating online gaming. The discrepancy could depend on differences in these efforts on the federal and municipal levels. Perhaps it is time for Concepción’s campaigners to get federal powers involved.

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