Casino Parque Hotel reopens as a state-run venue and aims for 2027
Fewer machines, a reorganized staff, and hours from 10 AM to 2 AM. With this formula, the Casino Parque Hotel in Montevideo reopened its doors on September 10, now under the management of the Dirección General de Casinos (DGC), the department of Uruguay's Ministry of Economy and Finance that administers state-owned gaming halls. The venue thus ceased to be municipal and became part of the national network.
The DGC's commercial manager, Carlos Amorín, stated in an interview with Telemundo that the gaming hall presented an opportunity they weren't seeking but decided to seize within days of the old Municipal Casino's closure. With this addition, the DGC now has 35 establishments and a presence in 18 departments across the country. Amorín expressed confidence that results would begin to show in 2027 and grow from there, with a projected profit of UYU 10 million per month, approximately USD 250,000, for the coming year.
As he explained, the changes involved applying the DGC's accumulated knowledge in casino management to the venue. They took some of the slots already present, rationalized and reduced their number, and assembled a staff tailored to the service requirements to support the new operating hours.
The change of hands also had a labor aspect. In early September, it was announced that the Intendencia de Montevideo would allocate nearly USD 3 million for incentivized retirements for 35 of the casino's 44 employees, with an average payment exceeding USD 80,000 for each employee who agrees to resign and retire.
The transfer comes after several years of financial losses under municipal management. In 2025, the venue closed with a deficit of UYU 127.9 million, approximately USD 3.18 million, 54 percent deeper than in 2024, and its sixth consecutive negative result, with revenues of UYU 162.9 million against expenses of UYU 290.8 million. The Intendencia, headed by Mario Bergara, did not cede its license to the national government, so the ministry operates with its own license and machines, and the municipality leases the building, the historic Parque Hotel on Montevideo's rambla, to them.
Tags: Casino Parque Hotel, General Directorate of Casinos, Carlos Amorín, State Casinos in Uruguay