Puerto Rico Reviews Senate Bill 960 to Expand Gambling Options

The Senate of Puerto Rico issued a press release stating that the Treasury, Budget, and PROMESA Commission held an on-site inspection of the Casino Metro to assess the proposed Senate Bill 960 seeking to expand gambling activities on the island territory.

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The on-site inspection included a visit by Senator Migdalia Padilla Alvelo, along with Juan Santaella Marchán, representatives from the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, and Casino Metro General Manager Ismael Vega.

The bill, which has been proposed by Senator Roxanna Soto Aguilú, seeks to change the law regulating the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission to introduce new forms of gambling.

Proposed Changes to Law May Include More Betting Formats

The changes outlined in Senate Bill 960 include permission for poker rooms that exist separately from regular casinos, expansion of online sports bets, esports gambling, and interactive electronic lottery games via apps and websites.

In addition, the bill includes new licensing, oversight, and controls to help prevent problem gambling and prohibit underage players.

As the senator noted during the inspection, there may be some further changes to the bill. “We are doing an on-site inspection to assess this measure along with all the stakeholders involved. I believe it is a complex piece of legislation that proposes many changes. That is my view”, Padilla said.

She also emphasized the economic importance of the gaming business for Puerto Rico today. “This is definitely a piece of legislation that carries economic impact, and that is because the games produce revenue for the government. It is not carved in stone; there might be further amendments made to the bill, and I always try to look at the bright side of things”, she added.

Opposition from the Parties Involved

While the economic impact of the bill may be considerable, officials in charge and representatives from the casino sector raised their concerns over the proposed changes to the industry.

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Santaella, who serves as the Gaming Commission’s executive director, pointed out the fact that the current casino industry is highly regulated and requires multiple licenses to operate. “The concerns we have come from the fact that the casino industry is quite highly regulated. There is a great amount of requirements to open a casino, and now the proposal will be to open the market just to generate more income”, he said.

At the same time, Santaella warned that the new bill might just redistribute the gambling revenue and not actually provide any new economic growth for the industry. “Our position is to ensure that apart from generating more income with this project, we make sure that the redistribution of gambling revenue will not be the only outcome”, he concluded.

Officials of the Hotel and Tourism Association also shared their worries about potential problems caused by the changes in the casino legislation.

Impact of Legislation on Casinos’ Security Systems Raises Questions

Hotel and Tourism Association’s Fabiola Pagán Meléndez raised her concern about the negative impact that may be felt by the casinos already in operation within the hotels.

“We see that this project brings up several concerns for us because it is really scary and we do not see that it will generate more income for the government of Puerto Rico. In fact, this measure will redistribute gamblers, taking away players from casinos that have the required security standards“, she said.

Pagán also drew attention to the security risks posed by independent poker rooms. “In this kind of poker game, players play against each other, not against the house. Therefore, such games might pose security problems if played in an environment without the same safety precautions and security staff, which will certainly harm Puerto Rico’s image as a tourist destination“, she concluded.

As part of the inspection, the commission visited the Casino Metro and assessed the procedures employed, control systems, and gaming technologies used there. According to the Senate, further inspections of this bill will take place in the coming weeks until the final report is prepared by the commission.

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Source: SBC Noticias