Everything indicates that Boldt will not have major rivals in the tender. Codere and Enjoy, the two major international competitors that had signed up, left at the last moment the process noting the fears of their parent companies against the run of the dollar and financial instability. Solaire and Ajest did not participate either.
Thus, Boldt could retain the entire business within a month and a half, when the bidding process ends. It will face two smaller players: Casino de Victoria and Oasis Entertainment (which operates Bingo Pilar). Neither of them presented an offer for Trilenium, located in Tigre, which with 1600 slots and an influx of players throughout the year, is the jewel of the tender.
In the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (Iplyc), which leads Matías Lanusse, the boxes with the background and technical data presented by the competitors were opened last Thursday. Oasis Entertainment and Casino Victoria presented two boxes with the corresponding folders. Boldt presented a sealed container more than a meter high, which contained boxes with 18 original folders, plus annexes and their duplicates. At first glance it was clear that it was the only firm that was going to compete for the seven venues.
Currently, the province theoretically remains with half the profits (after paying prizes) of the slots. But in reality it ends up receiving about 30% or less, because it must pay the salaries of employees, maintenance of cloths, services and security, among other items. With the current tender, these expenses pass to private operators.
This is the first public tender since the gaming sector was under the control of the province, in 1995. Since then, all authorizations were granted and renewed directly, without competition.
To avoid having deserted offers for casinos with less turnover, Lotería decided to tender the seven casinos in three groups, which combine the most and less profitable venues: Trilenium (Tigre) is tendered next to the Pinamar casino; the Central Casino (Mar del Plata) next to the Monte Hermoso room, and the Hermitage (Mar del Plata) next to the casinos of Tandil and Miramar. Boldt, of the Tabanelli family, competed for all of them.
Source: GMB / La Nacion (Argentina)
