Economy Ministry to Take Control of Montevideo’s Casino Parque Hotel
Uruguay.- 25 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Uruguay’s Ministry of Economy and Finance will take possession of Montevideo’s Casino Parque Hotel from 1 September.
The transfer ends the venue’s period under municipal administration and moves it into the national government structure responsible for operating state-owned casinos across the country.
Change of Administration
Casino Parque Hotel has until now been managed by the Municipality of Montevideo.
From September, the venue will move under the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The move formalises a transfer process that has been developing over recent months and changes the administrative structure of one of the Uruguayan capital’s historic gaming venues.
35 Employees Accept Retirement Package
The transition will also affect the casino’s workforce.
Of its 46 employees, 35 have accepted an incentivised early-retirement arrangement.
Their years of service can be calculated under working conditions classified as unhealthy, enabling them to retire at a lower age and receive an additional incentive.
Remaining Staff Face Redeployment
Employees not taking the retirement package have begun interviews with management to determine their future positions.
The process is complicated by the fact that some careers and functions developed within casino operations do not have direct equivalents elsewhere within the municipal administration.
Workforce redeployment will therefore be one of the main elements of the transition.
Loss-Making Operation
The transfer follows a period in which the casino’s operation had faced criticism over repeated financial deficits.
Those results contributed to a wider review of its management model and the eventual move towards national administration.
Historic Casino
The building has a long history within Uruguay’s gaming sector.
It opened in 1909 as a hotel, theatre and casino within Parque Urbano.
The venue became the first casino in South America.
In 1915, the Municipality of Montevideo acquired the complex for UYU1.1 million.
Relocation in 2015
In 2015, casino operations were transferred to the former Casa Andalucía building.
The venue subsequently remained within Montevideo’s municipal casino network.
Its transfer to the national government now marks a new institutional phase.
Transfer Process Began in June
In June, the Municipality of Montevideo removed Lorena Infante from her role as Casinos Manager and reassigned her to another position.
The move was viewed as one of the first concrete steps in the process of transferring Casino Parque Hotel to the national casino administration.
Reopening Under New Management
Although the Ministry of Economy and Finance will formally take possession on 1 September, the casino is not expected to reopen under its new structure immediately.
Operations are currently scheduled to resume several days later.
The transition will require completion of administrative and operational adjustments linked to the change in management.
National Casino Network
Uruguay’s national government already operates a significant portfolio of gaming venues.
These include:
- Casino Nogaró in Punta del Este.
- Victoria Plaza in Montevideo.
- Casinos in Piriápolis.
- Casinos in Rivera.
- A network of 31 gaming venues across the country.
Casino Parque Hotel will now join that national structure.
Industry Context
Uruguay maintains a gaming model in which the state plays a direct and significant role in land-based casino operations.
The transfer of Casino Parque Hotel from the Municipality of Montevideo to the national government represents an administrative restructuring rather than a privatisation.
The move also addresses the financial difficulties accumulated under municipal management.
Next Steps or Impact
The Ministry of Economy and Finance will formally take control of Casino Parque Hotel on 1 September.
Operations under the new national administration are expected to begin several days later.
The transition will also require completion of staff redeployment and the definition of the casino’s operational structure within Uruguay’s wider state-run casino network.
Editó: @fonta
