The technical evaluations ended without an award after neither applicant fully satisfied the legal and regulatory requirements
The outcome leaves Puerto Varas without a successful applicant and requires Chile’s casino regulator to prepare another licensing process for the municipality.
The Superintendence of Gaming Casinos (SCJ) has ended its evaluation of the technical offers submitted by Inversiones y Turismo Puerto Varas S.A. and Sociedad Quiquilhue S.A.
The decisions were formalised through Exempt Resolutions No. 821 and No. 822, both issued on 11 August and published in Chile’s Official Gazette on 18 August.
The SCJ’s Resolution Council determined that neither applicant had fully complied with the legal and regulatory requirements contained in the Technical Terms governing the process.
Under Chilean casino legislation, failure to meet these requirements is an express reason to end a technical evaluation without awarding an operating permit.
The Council therefore terminated both evaluations and declared the Puerto Varas processes unsuccessful.
New licensing process required
The SCJ will now begin a new procedure for the Puerto Varas casino operating permit under Law No. 19,995 and its accompanying regulations.
This will require the regulator to define new special conditions for inclusion in the Technical Terms. These conditions establish the legal, financial, investment and operational requirements applicants must satisfy.
Inversiones y Turismo Puerto Varas S.A. is associated with Dreams, which operates the existing municipal casino in Puerto Varas. Sociedad Quiquilhue S.A. has been linked to Corporación Meier.
The current casino may continue operating until a replacement venue authorised through a new process enters operation, in accordance with the transitional arrangements previously outlined by the SCJ.
Puerto Varas joins other Chilean municipalities where recent casino licensing rounds have produced limited participation or no successful bids.
