President of the Association of Games of Chance Administrators (ASAJA), Antonio Alfaro, has recently asked to the Gambling Control Committee (JCJ) more transparency in the approval of casino licenses. Alfaro said that this demand is made every time that JCJ aims to ignore ASAJA as trade union representative of the games of chance industry, in order to be able to grant a casino operating license in the facilities of Four Points Sheraton Hotel, which does not comply with the basic requirements demanded by law.

The games of chance business is growing, and casino winnings in 2008 exceeded USD 300 million, while the government received more than USD 30 million. Besides, the demand of new casinos is increasing, too. In 2008, a new casino license was granted and there are four requests in process. Last year, it was granted the operating license to Hotel Colón Puerto 2.000 for a casino, that will be operated by the firm Crown Casino.