The House of Representatives is investigating alleged coercion towards equestrian agents.
Puerto Rico.- The Tourism and Cooperativism Commission of the House of Representatives is investigating possible violations of the Law of the Gaming Commission of the Government of Puerto Rico (Law No. 81 of 2019) by the Camarero Race Track.
The investigation originates from the fact that three equestrian agencies allegedly received threats from the Camarero Race Track, warning them that their contracts and licenses will not be renewed unless they adopt Camarero's sports betting provider, Sportium Servicios de Gestión S.L.
Gabriel Salgado Torres, president of United Equestrian Agents of Puerto Rico, expressed his concern, noting that his agency complies with all legal requirements and should not be penalized in this manner. He also pointed out that the system offered by Sportium is "obsolete and has been operating under the same conditions for three decades".
In turn, ApuestaPR described the actions of the Camarero Race Track as "illegal and contrary to the law", by coercing equestrian agents to exclusively use their sports betting provider, thus eliminating fair competition.
See also: Puerto Rico: the gaming industry raised USD 186m in 2023
The interim executive director of the Gaming Commission, Juan Carlos Santaella Marchán, mentioned that although they are aware of the claims, they cannot initiate an administrative process without a formal complaint. However, he noted that the Department of Justice is conducting an investigation into the matter.
Representative José Aponte Hernández highlighted that the Camarero Race Track has a history of irresponsibility, especially for its non-compliance in contributing to the Compulsive Player Assistance Program. According to information provided by the Gaming Commission, as of May 31 this year, Camarero had an outstanding balance of more than USD2m.
Despite being summoned to the hearing, Camarero Race Track Corp. did not appear nor did they provide a prior excuse to the Commission. In response, the president of the Tourism Commission, José Rivera Madera, warned that the Commission reserves the right to take measures, and revealed that they will determine the course of action in the next 48 hours.
