Eradicate the casino rooms from the center of Bariloche and confine them to Cerro Catedral is the proposal contained in a draft ordinance who entered the Municipal Council this week and who already anticipates a heated debate on gambling addictions and also the impact on the sources of employment generated by the activity.
The initiative was presented by the councilor Leandro Costa Brutten with the co-authorship of her peer Julieta Wallace, who later stated that she did not endorse all of the content and was going to ask that her name be deleted.
The proposal aims to reconfigure the authorizations of the “game rooms” category, which To date they have no geographical restrictions. Article 1 says: “Casinos are prohibited throughout the entire ejido of the city of Bariloche.” Article 2 establishes an exception for “the Cerro Catedral delegation” and the third sets “a maximum time of four years to close or relocate existing casinos in Bariloche”, where two premises of this type currently operate, under a provincial concession.
Costa Brutten said that The intention of the project is “to decisively confront gambling addiction in Bariloche” and establish a regulation “that discourages the loss of family income daily in the game.”
Contrary to what the text says, He assured that “it is not a prohibition”because it leaves the freedom to install casinos in Cathedral with the aim of leave them exclusively associated “with the tourist offer.” Although it does not appear in the project, the councilor said that “it is possible ialso incorporate the airport from Bariloche to that zoning”, with the idea that Residents, if they want to bet, must do so a good distance from their homes, as a resource to “not facilitate compulsive and systematic gambling.”
If this measure is approvedthe concessionaire company Casino Club may claim that it has a contract with the province with the right to exploit the activity throughout Bariloche, without restrictions, until 2040. The fee set by the province included a payment of 4.2 million dollars by the firm and destined for the construction of the new terminal in this city.
Wallace considered it important to evaluate measures to combat gambling addiction. In fact, has just presented another project to condition the advertising of online betting, with the aim of protecting especially young people and adolescents. But regarding the casino ban project, he said that its scope will need to be debated very carefully. “because there is a commercial authorization and a concession from the province that are in force” and also for the conflict that could arise with employees.
He also declared his doubts about the criterion of prohibiting “with exceptions”, such as the one that would benefit the Cathedral.
Friction points
Costa Brutten said that “although the concession is provincial, “The zoning of commercial activities in the city is a power of the municipality.”
In his opinion, the local government autonomy It is a sufficient platform to allow or not allow casino activity. “If anyone has caused damage to Bariloche, it has precisely been the Rio Negro provincial management, who in a sloppy manner and in a shameful series of non-compliance committed Bariloche to the construction of a bus terminal with funds from said concession, in a story of lies that finally required national funds,” the councilor argued.
At the moment The casino has two locations in Bariloche, one on San Martín Street – with a more touristy audience profile – and another on Gallardo, almost on Onelli Street, aimed at an almost exclusive clientele of resident players.. Between the two rooms they employ just over 200 people.
The continuous salary demands of the staff, according to Costa Brutten, are proof that “the current exploitation scheme does not guarantee its sustainability.”
He said that the project he presented is “perfectible.” and that when it is treated In the Council there will be invitations for “the provincial lottery authorities, those responsible for the concession, the union and the employeesalong with associations that help and assist with compulsive gambling addiction problems.”
