Random operations are carried out within the framework of current municipal and national regulations to eradicate illegal devices.
Paraguay.- The Municipality of Ciudad del Este, within the framework of the implementation of the ordinance 09/24 of the Municipal Council and as part of the regularization of the operation of slot machines following the promulgation of the Law 6903/2022, resumed this week the operations to seize devices that do not comply with current regulations.
According to authorities, machines that do not have the required QR code of authorization will be seized. Controls will continue to be carried out randomly, making it imperative for owners of such machines to regularize their situation.
In July of last year, all those affected were notified, giving them enough time to regularize their activities, avoiding fines and sanctions that exceed 20 minimum wages. To recover the seized machines, merchants must process the authorization and QR, after paying the corresponding fine in the Special Regimes section, dependent on the Revenue Collection Directorate.
See also: Key points of the new gaming law enacted in Paraguay
The main requirements established in Ordinance 09/24, approved last August, are the possession of a commercial patent and the payment of a monthly fee for each machine in the municipal institution's box (equivalent to 1 monthly wage per machine), which will then be distributed 30 percent to the municipalities affected by the games; 30 percent to the departmental governments where the games were implemented; 30 percent to DIBEN; and 10 percent to the National Treasury.
Furthermore, another requirement established is that the premises cannot be located less than 500 meters from educational institutions. Moreover, the ordinance stipulates that the machines must be located in spaces previously authorized by the institution and not be exposed to the public on the street.
The notification process to the owners of the businesses that have these machines will allow to control and sanction those who do not comply with the new regulations, whose main objective is to ensure compliance with the established provisions that seek to protect the community.
The responsibility for control, compliance, and oversight of this ordinance falls on the Municipal Tax Oversight. Machines operating in violation of current regulations will be seized. This control will also extend to the sale of vehicle raffle tickets, whose marketing is also prohibited in case of involving minors.
A study conducted nationwide by the Attorney General's Office and published in February of last year estimated that there are 150,000 machines operating illegally and, according to statements by the head of the National Gambling Commission (Conajzar), Carlos Liseras, to the local media Diario Vanguardia, it is estimated that 40 percent (60,000) of them are in Alto Paraná, mainly in Ciudad del Este.
An irrevocable judicial ruling relaxes the restrictions imposed in 2023 and allows the expansion of games such as roulette, dice, and cards, as well as more slot machines.
Mexico.- A Mexican court has issued a ruling that significantly modifies the regulation of casinos in the country, allowing them to expand their offer of card games, roulette, and dice, as well as expand their slot machines. The decision, which mainly affects operators Espectáculos Deportivos de Occidente (EDOSA) and other companies in the sector, opens the door to the growth of the industry in the country.
The ruling, unappealable, partially annuls the regulatory reform promoted in November 2023 by the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which had restricted slot machines and established stricter rules for the operation of casinos. The court considered that the Federal Law of Games and Draws (LFJS) allows both slot machines, known as "number draw machines," and chance-based gambling games, such as cards, dice, and roulette. Additionally, it was accepted that card games, roulettes, and dice also comply with the law because chance is a determining factor in their outcome.
This opens the door for Mexican casinos to offer a variety of games similar to those of the main international gaming centers, which could change the landscape of the industry in the country.
See also: Gambling taxes in Mexico: proposal to increase the tax burden in the state of Guanajuato
