The Acrismatic group plans to open its fifth establishment in Elche.
Spain.- The Acrismatic group continues its expansion in the Valencian Community with a plan to open a new casino in Elche. The new Casino Mediterráneo would be the fifth following the establishments that opened in Alicante, Orihuela Costa, Benidorm, and Ondara.
This week, the city council's governing board granted a license for the change of use and renovation works of a warehouse on Crevillente Avenue number 62. Located on the national road 340, in the hamlet of Peña de Las Águilas, the establishment will be part of an expanding commercial area, which includes the El Sauce shopping center and car dealerships.
The spokesperson for the governing board, Juan de Dios Navarro, provided little information about the agreement, even stating that with this license the final destination of the new facilities was unknown, although it appeared on the agenda under the name "reform for casino gaming", according to the local media Información.
The casino will offer games, exhibition rooms, and areas to watch sports events.
Meanwhile, last year the Casino Mediterráneo in the town of Ondara opened its doors. The official opening event, led by the company's authorities, took place in May, almost two years after the first stone was laid and after its opening to the public in January.
The casino has an area of 1492 square meters and is located at Alcanalí Street 7-A, next to the Portal de la Marina shopping center, and, according to the operating company, the establishment is set to become a leading leisure and entertainment space in the region.
The legislative initiative seeks to punish with up to 15 years in prison the clandestine sale of lottery tickets.
Panama.- Yesterday, Tuesday, January 21, the Government Commission of the National Assembly of Panama gave way to the citizen proposal to criminalize the clandestine sale of lottery tickets. The bill must now move to the legislative plenum for discussion in the second and third readings.
Proposal N°186, promoted by José Clara, seeks to amend the Panamanian Penal Code to classify as a crime the clandestine sale of lottery tickets, with harsher prison sentences and fines.
Specifically, the initiative proposes to penalize with 6 to 10 years in prison those who sell clandestine lottery tickets, whether physically or electronically. If sales exceed USD100,000 or there is recidivism, the penalty would increase from 8 to 15 years in prison. It also contemplates imposing fines on commercial establishments that participate in this illegal activity, with amounts ranging from USD5,000 to USD10,000, doubling in case of recidivism.
According to the promoters of this initiative, the goal is to protect public funds allocated to social programs and ensure transparency in the draws of the National Charity Lottery.
See also: The president of Panama insists on ending the electronic lottery and announced that he will increase the commission of the ticket sellers
In statements to the media, the lawyer Angélica Van Lewin said that this measure is crucial to prevent the State from losing significant revenue and added that the Constitution states that the State is the only one authorized to exploit gambling and not businesses.
On the other hand, Alfredo Sosa, representative of the Ticket Sellers Union, expressed his support for the proposal, highlighting the negative impact that the illegal sale of lottery tickets has on legal sellers. Sosa pointed out to the Panamanian media that currently more than 50 percent of the numbers are returned, which directly affects the workers in the sector.
