Montevideo Mayor: City to end casino deficit by end of 2027

Montevideo Mayor Mario Bergara stated that the city will cease to have a deficit related to the Parque Hotel Casino by the end of 2027. The casino is set to close its doors this Friday and will be transferred to the General Directorate of Casinos within the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).

Bergara explained that this move fulfills a campaign promise to transfer the municipal casino to the state institution responsible for managing casinos and gambling policies. He believes that managing a casino is not a core function of the Intendency of Montevideo (IMM).

Starting in September, the facility will be under the MEF's purview. Of the 46 employees, 35 will retire, and the remaining 11 will be relocated to other IMM tasks. Bergara described the process as "discussed, dialogued, and agreed upon."

The MEF will purchase the casino's machines, and the building will be leased for two years. Bergara noted that the casino had been generating an annual deficit of over $2 million for the IMM. This deficit is being used to fund the retirement incentive scheme for the workers. "From the end of next year, the IMM will no longer have a deficit linked to the municipal casino," he asserted.

He reiterated that the IMM's vision is not to be involved in casino management or gambling policies. "For a casino to do well, it needs gambling policies like those of the General Directorate of Casinos, which is the responsible state agency for casino management in the country," Bergara said. The casino had already registered a loss of 83 million pesos in 2024, and its potential closure had been discussed for years.