Operadores de máquinas tragamonedas: ‘No somos responsables de las pérdidas de los casinos’.’
Illegal gambling halls are taking a bite out of the highly regulated casino industry, PRHTA officials say. (Credit: © Mauricio Pascual)
El presidente de la Unión de Operadores de Máquinas Electrónicas (UDOME), Rafael Hernández-Cañete, dijo el miércoles que ellos no son los responsables de las pérdidas de ingresos de los casinos como resultado de las máquinas tragamonedas ilegales, tal y como afirmó recientemente la Asociación de Hoteles y Turismo de Puerto Rico.
He further said the allegations are “incorrect and illogical,” citing a study the group commissioned earlier this year.
“I will start by reminding the PRHTA that the slot entertainment machines sector, operated by hundreds of small and medium sized local businesses, has no effect on tourism or hotels that operate casinos because it is obvious that these markets cater to a radically different clientele,” he said. “Moreover, UDOME operators are completely legal, and pay patents and taxes, as they well know.”
A study by economist and professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez — which UDOME paid for — presented at the legislature earlier this year — found that the closing of casinos is due to factors such as the economic recession in the U.S., which reduced tourist arrivals, the local depression since 2006, and poor management of the tourism industry in Puerto Rico.
“In the last three years, Puerto Rico has had three directors of the Tourism Company and three different promotional campaigns. This inconsistency, combined with the lack of leadership in this industry, can explain the deterioration in competitiveness, especially when compared to neighboring countries like Peru, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Panama, among others. If they are losing competitiveness it certainly is not because of the slot machines,” said Alameda in his study.
Casino clientele is composed of tourists and residents who are not casual gamers, the study showed. Tourists account for one-third of the players and the hotels still control 75 percent of the bets on the island. In contrast, adult entertainment machine, which are located mostly in small businesses have a customer profile completely different from the casinos, the trade group said.
“Our slot machines have not undermined the entertainment market for hotels, but quite the opposite. The hotels have invaded the market of entertainment machines looking for more customers,” said the study.
UDOME has spent months lobbying for the connection of their slots machines to the Treasury Department as an effective mechanism to raise an additional $23 million to be distributed among 33 of the island’s poorest municipalities that have suffered substantial population loss in recent years.
This reaction is the latest chapter in an ongoing saga, which has pitted hotel casino operators against adult entertainment slot machine owners.
Two weeks ago, as this media outlet informado, the Tourism Company said it would be revisiting casino rules and the issue of legalizing slots operating outside casinos.
