Clandestine Gaming Shut Down in LATAM
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
Across Latin America, authorities are working to minimize the presence of clandestine gaming halls. As more and more countries regulate gaming, more will have the power to address illegal gaming locations and platforms. Argentina has recently closed a casino in the San Luis area. Meanwhile in Guatemala, more illegal slot machines have been located and seized.
Authorities in Argentina and Guatemala have identified various illegal gaming establishments and taken necessary actions against them in recent weeks.
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Argentina’s illegal casinos
Argentina has been dealing with illegal gaming in various provinces for some time. For example, recent research revealed that a majority of online gaming platforms available to Argentines are not licensed. This has made it difficult for the government to protect consumers from untrustworthy actors in the gaming industry.
The country has tried various strategies to combat this, namely working on improving its infrastructure of regulated sites and educating the population about which sites are trustworthy. Brick-and-mortar gaming is a separate but related issue that sometimes requires a different tact.
For example, in Santiago del Estero, authorities shut down an illegal lottery operation. They found out about the operation because it was advertised on local radio. They also had a court order allowing them to investigate and shut the operation down.
In the province of San Luis, part of the Cuyo region which is located centrally in the South American country, a recent operation helped to close down an unlicensed gaming spot. This move was made by local authorities, who managed to investigate an illegal gaming locale and eventually close it.
This establishment was in the city of Concarán, which is fairly rural but located near to Merlo, an attractive tourist destination. It was determined to be a clandestine casino. As a result of the raid by authorities, 25 people were arrested and the gaming room was dismantled, in accordance with the gaming law, so that the place cannot become operational again.
This raid happened as a result of an order from the Criminal and Correctional Investigation Court of the Third Judicial Circumscription. The order gave authorities permission to enter the premises of the illegal casino.
The agents who carried on the raid were able to quickly confirm that this location indeed housed illegal gaming paraphernalia. Out of the 25 people who were in attendance and subsequently arrested, it is not yet clear which were operating the casino and which were customers.
Police also confiscated large quantities of cash, which were found both in the form of pesos and dollars. Additional gaming equipment was confiscated as well. The next steps would usually be a trial for the arrested persons and the destruction of any confiscated equipment. Typically, even if guilty parties are only given a fine for a first offense, they would be closely watched to determine they do not involve themselves in further clandestine in the future.
Slot machine seizures in Guatemala
In Guatemala, the name of the game has been slots rather than casinos or online gaming. Unfortunately, illegal slot machines are an all-too-common occurrence throughout some Latin American countries despite heavy restrictions. Authorities combat these with raids as well, seizing equipment, checking whether it is licensed and often destroying it to prevent it being used again.
Recent raids occurred in Puerto Barrios, an area to the northeast in Guatemala. The raid identified and removed 39 slot machines from use at an unlicensed gaming location. This was part of a larger action by police throughout Puerto Barrios in which 29 locations were raided.
In this case, the actions were taken by Guatemala’s National Civil Police, known as PNC, as well as its Public Ministry. They took place over three consecutive days. It has not yet been announced whether anyone has been arrested in relation to the Guatemalan raids.
