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Spain – Sale of Tenerife casinos slammed as shameful by Councillor

By Phil - 30 November 2016

A Councillor from the Podemos (We Can) Party Julio Concepción has fiercely criticised the local government for taking another step forward in the privatisation of casinos, slamming the council’s actions as ‘shameful.’

He said that the sale of the Playa de Las Americas casino in the south of Tenerife generated ‘enormous benefits’ and criticised the government for introducing the legislation as a matter of urgency as it gave the impression that the issue was related to health as the council was currently debating the work underway on a hospital.
However Juan Carlos Perez Frías, director of the Council Treasury, stated that the point in question did not refer to the sale of the casino, which has already been ratified, but compliance with local regulations. But Concepción criticised the government for wanting to sell the building for €1.1m pointing out it cost €2.4m in construction costs alone to build. In addition, according to the council member, the casino in September generated revenues of €9,330,000.

“It falls within the neoliberal logic of privatising profits and that the debts are assumed by the public,” he said. “It is shameful to sell everything without the agreement of everyone.”

In November the President of the Council of Tenerife Carlos Alonso, said that the appraisal report on the value of the three existing casinos on the island would soon be made public in order to proceed with their sale. Resources generated by the privatised casinos would be used to help fund social welfare programs on the island. However, it has been a long running and increasingly acrimonious issue.
In 2014 it was announced that the three casinos in Tenerife were to be privatised with then newly elected President Carlos Alonso saying that he also supported plans to open casinos in hotels. The government planned to sell shares in the casinos in Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz and Playa de las Americas at some point later in 2014 after it was reported that only the Casino Playa de Las Americas posted profits in 2013.

Proposals put forward in 2014 would also see casino expansion in other hotels throughout Tenerife. However, unions and many officials have been against the move from the beginning and have delayed the process.