Marina del Sol president says Chile casino downturn cut Talcahuano jobs by 30%

Marina del Sol president Paula Rojas Puga said that reduced activity at Chilean casinos has affected employment and contributions to municipalities. She said direct employment at the company's Talcahuano casino fell by 30%.

Rojas said the company, which operates casinos in Talcahuano, Calama, Chillán and Osorno, had to make operational adjustments. She said the impact on indirect employment is even greater. She noted that the Biobío region has an unemployment rate above 10% and that Talcahuano was affected by the closure of Huachipato. She also said the drop in activity has stopped Marina del Sol from investing in new projects in other municipalities.

Citing data from the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego, Rojas said there were 3.64 million visits between January and August 2026, against 4.14 million in the same period of 2025, a fall of 12.1%. She said the decline across the country's 22 casinos since 2023 is 20%. Rojas said contributions from the specific gambling tax, paid to municipalities and regional governments, have fallen by 14.3% for Marina del Sol and by 18.9% across the industry since 2022.

Among the factors behind weaker investment interest, Rojas cited the most recent tenders for physical casinos being declared void. She said comprehensive regulation and an update of the rules are urgent if current operators and foreign investors are to stay interested.

Rojas described the legislative debate on online gambling as incomplete and said formal casinos were not sufficiently heard. On the charging of VAT to online platforms, she said the decision was contradictory and did not amount to legal authorisation. She said foreign platforms remain illegal in Chile.

Asked about the heavy presence of betting companies in sport, Rojas said regulation is urgent. She said the platforms have positioned themselves where they can reach the groups most likely to be affected, including children and young people watching matches.