In early February, two online betting companies secured the last available licenses in Mendoza, Argentina. The Provincial Institute of Games and Casinos (IPJyC) officially awarded these licenses just three weeks ago, and one platform has already begun operations.
This platform is Casino Club Online, owned by a Temporary Union of Companies (UTE) consisting of KLP Emprendimientos SA and Casino Club SA.
KLP Emprendimientos SA controls the hotel and casino opposite the Guaymallén shopping center and is owned by the Garfunkel family. Casino Club SA is chaired by Ricardo Benedicto, a former partner and friend of Kirchnerist businessman Cristóbal López.
Benedicto also has a strong presence in the provincial gambling market. Through Traylon, he operates the slot machines at the Central Casino of Godoy Cruz. He is also a partner in an online gaming license already operating in Mendoza (Betwarrior).
In April 2023, the IPJyC granted five licenses in an initial bidding process to the platforms Betwarrior, Super7, BPlay, Codere, and Rushbet, which later ceded authorization to Betano. The first four are operational, while the last has not yet entered the provincial market.
The Owners of Online Gaming in Mendoza
It is important to note that online gaming portals have geographical restrictions, meaning only residents of Mendoza can access them.
Both IPJyC bidding processes gave preference to offers involving slot machine service providers in one of Mendoza’s ten physical casinos.
The five operational platforms are:
- BetWarrior. An alliance between Ondiss and Traylon, Benedicto’s firm (linked to Cristobal López), which operates the slot machines at the Central Casino of Godoy Cruz.
- Super7. Hotelera Emprender (operator of the Tower Inn of San Rafael) joined Impresora Internacional de Valores (Ivisa).
- Bplay. A union of the Kristich group, which manages the casinos of Tunuyán and San Martín, with Boldt.
- Codere. A multinational company that partnered in Mendoza with the investment group that manages the Sheraton hotel.
- Casino Club Online. A UTE formed by KLP Emprendimientos (Garfunkel family) and Casino Club (Benedicto).
The two authorized sites that are not yet operating in Mendoza are:
- Betano. The license was initially granted to Desarrollos Maipú, a firm linked to Daniel Angelici (who has the concession for the Arena Maipú casino) that joined Rushbet. The authorization was then ceded to Betano.
- Sporsbet. A Temporary Union (UT) between Nuevo Plaza (manages the Hyatt hotel and casino), Argenbingo (has an online license to operate in the province of Buenos Aires), and Operalogist (will handle advertising, leveraging its strong ties with the América group).
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