Lotería del Chubut opens Esquel casino tender with rehiring condition

Lotería del Chubut has opened a public tender for the administration and operation of a casino and an adjoining hall in Esquel, according to the tender documents. The terms require the future concessionaire to take on the workers dismissed after the previous venue closed. The call to tender is a step in the process to restart activity in the city, but the availability of premises and the resolution of court disputes continue to condition the timetable for reopening.

The process is intended to continue the operation of a gaming hall and to offer a work alternative to the roughly 50 employees of Trewelyn S.A. who were dismissed when the company closed the casino on 25 March 2026. Articles 14 and 14 bis of the tender documents set out the obligation for the future concessionaire to take on the affected staff. The rehiring is to be carried out gradually, in line with the operational needs of the new establishment.

Sebastián Pérez Rienzi, one of the former employees acting as spokesperson for the group, told local outlet ADN Sur that companies are interested in taking part in the process. He said the building where the previous casino operated is under attachment by the workers in connection with their claims for outstanding compensation. He also said that building a new venue or adapting one could take at least a year.

Ramiro Ibarra, president of Lotería del Chubut, had set out the approach in remarks to local radio station FM del Lago broadcast on 8 October. He said the incorporation of former employees would be progressive and called for caution on timetables. He said that once the tender is held and awarded, having a building to put a casino in takes time. He also said the tender documents cover gaming tables, while the initial recommendation pointed to a model centred on slot machines because of the operating costs associated with gaming tables.

The former employees' claims against Trewelyn S.A. over unpaid wages and compensation for the closure continue. On 6 October a court ruling in favour of 36 workers represented by the Sindicato de Empleados de Comercio ordered the company to pay the March wages with the corresponding interest; the resolution no longer allowed a further appeal, according to the information published at the time. A further eight former employees were represented by lawyer Martín Iturburu, while the rest chose not to pursue legal action, according to local media reports.

Pérez Rienzi told ADN Sur that despite the court advances the workers had still not received cash for the sums claimed. He described the difficulty of finding new employment in the area and meeting everyday expenses after almost six months without a definitive work solution. He said the timetables of the courts and the province are not the workers' own timetables. The provincial government had restated its support for the former employees, and the Legislature of Chubut approved in August a request for information to the Superior Tribunal of Justice on the status of the cases linked to Trewelyn S.A.