NewsWhore
06-23-2009, 03:20 PM
Gambling is gaining ground in the country. In addition to the sports betting parlors, casinos have taken a big leap, going from 20 in 2005 to the 56 currently in operation, reports today's Diario Libre.
This increase has been accompanied with illegal activities and more than one of these establishments is operating without the permits and requisites as required by Law 351, and this is why several licenses have been canceled, according to the report.
At least two casinos are going up in the city of Santo Domingo without licenses and another two are operating without the established requisites. Such is the case of one being built on the San Isidro Highway on the site of the former Blue House restaurant, and for which the Ministry of Hacienda Casino Department has yet to issue a license.
The same thing is happening with the casino that is going to be built in the installations of the old Agua y Luz Theater, whose promoters, Dawn Properties Ltd. have not managed to recover the license revoked by Hacienda in 2005.
According to Article 1 of Law 351, the Executive Branch is allowed to grant licenses for "the establishment of gaming rooms in first class hotels and other places, also first class" that are for the use of tourists. In Article 2 of the law, it is established that for the authorization of the gaming centers, the location, installation and money invested must be examined, and that the Casino Commission created for this purpose has to verify that these can classify as being of first class standards and meet the international requisites acceptable for tourist development.
Director of casinos Conrado Abud said that in the case of the casino at San Isidro, it is awaiting the construction of a hotel on the location before issuing an authorization.
Nonetheless, the Princess International, located on 27 de Febrero Avenue, and open to the public since last December, has a license to operate without any sign of a hotel there or nearby.
Abud justified this by saying that the licenses are granted only with the presentation of plans and a detailed description of the investment.
He added that the Princess has been notified that it has a six-month deadline, of which four months have elapsed, to either build a hotel or lose the license.
Another that had its license revoked was the casino at the San Geronimo Hotel, after the hotel closed down, but it is still operating, as a simple "gaming room", according to Abud. At present, casino owners are supposed to pay RD$10 million for a license, according to a resolution by the Ministry of Hacienda dated 12 August 2008.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)
This increase has been accompanied with illegal activities and more than one of these establishments is operating without the permits and requisites as required by Law 351, and this is why several licenses have been canceled, according to the report.
At least two casinos are going up in the city of Santo Domingo without licenses and another two are operating without the established requisites. Such is the case of one being built on the San Isidro Highway on the site of the former Blue House restaurant, and for which the Ministry of Hacienda Casino Department has yet to issue a license.
The same thing is happening with the casino that is going to be built in the installations of the old Agua y Luz Theater, whose promoters, Dawn Properties Ltd. have not managed to recover the license revoked by Hacienda in 2005.
According to Article 1 of Law 351, the Executive Branch is allowed to grant licenses for "the establishment of gaming rooms in first class hotels and other places, also first class" that are for the use of tourists. In Article 2 of the law, it is established that for the authorization of the gaming centers, the location, installation and money invested must be examined, and that the Casino Commission created for this purpose has to verify that these can classify as being of first class standards and meet the international requisites acceptable for tourist development.
Director of casinos Conrado Abud said that in the case of the casino at San Isidro, it is awaiting the construction of a hotel on the location before issuing an authorization.
Nonetheless, the Princess International, located on 27 de Febrero Avenue, and open to the public since last December, has a license to operate without any sign of a hotel there or nearby.
Abud justified this by saying that the licenses are granted only with the presentation of plans and a detailed description of the investment.
He added that the Princess has been notified that it has a six-month deadline, of which four months have elapsed, to either build a hotel or lose the license.
Another that had its license revoked was the casino at the San Geronimo Hotel, after the hotel closed down, but it is still operating, as a simple "gaming room", according to Abud. At present, casino owners are supposed to pay RD$10 million for a license, according to a resolution by the Ministry of Hacienda dated 12 August 2008.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)