For the past 12 years, the Court of Auditors has observed irregularities in the direct contracting of 150 slots, while the opposition criticizes the financial management of the municipality.
Uruguay.- The Montevideo Intendancy (IMM) faces questions about its financial management, especially regarding the leasing of 150 slot machines for the Casino Parque Hotel, an expense that the Tribunal de Cuentas de la República (TCR) has repeatedly observed since 2013. According to various resolutions, this year the municipality allocated UYU 15,372,000 (USD 360,882) for a six-month contract, effective from January 1 to June 31, 2025, with the companies ICM and FAMOSTAR. However, the TCR points out that this direct contracting violates article 15 of the Unified Text of Accounting and Financial Administration (Tocaf), which prohibits committing expenses without available credit, except in exceptional cases such as catastrophes or unforeseen emergencies.
The agency has been emphatic: there are no "unforeseeable" urgent reasons that justify the exception, nor is there sufficient budget availability in the corresponding accounting item. It also criticizes the absence of a competitive bidding process, required by articles 33 and following of the Tocaf, and warns that the IMM has systematically breached administrative contracting norms for over a decade. This year, the expense on slot machine rentals is part of a larger expenditure that exceeds UYU 3,000m (USD 69m), as noted by the local newspaper El País, in resolutions observed by the TCR in January and February.
The Casino Parque Hotel, which recorded losses of UYU 87m (USD 2.1m) in 2023, has become a symbol of criticism of Mayor Mauricio Zunino's management. The deputy and candidate for mayor by the Republican Coalition, Martín Lema, has harshly criticized this situation. "If you're not collecting garbage, fixing streets, or managing traffic, but you're embracing a municipal casino, it doesn't make sense," stated Lema, who promises to close the establishment if elected in the May 11 elections.
The controversy intensified after a session in the Departmental Board, where Zunino admitted to "difficulties in several areas" and justified cuts, such as those applied to the Department of Culture. However, the TCR's observations are not limited to the casino: they also cover other significant expenses, such as the UYU 2.654m allocated for the maintenance of sanitation systems or the UYU 31m for hiring interns from the University of the Republic, all executed without adequate budget availability.
