21. December 2009
Novomatic opens Latin-America’s biggest Casino Resort in Chile
The Monticello Grand Casino & Entertainment World, Latin-America’s biggest Resort Casino, located just south of the Chilean capital was opened last week with a grand opening show. In front of 7,000 guests and prominent special invitees from politics, economy and culture, salsa star Marc Anthony and his wife Jennifer López gave a spectacular live concert performance.
The Monticello project sits in spectacular lush mountain scenery at Mostazal; just 57 kilometres or 45 minutes driving time, south by the Panamericana Sur motorway, from the heart of Santiago. Its total build area is 66,300 square metres, divided into the key areas of casino (15,000 sqm), Hotel (17,000 sqm), Conference Centre (4,500 sqm), Entertainment and retail areas (6,300 sqm) and secure underground parking (23,500 sqm).
With total expenditures amounting to US$ 275 Million the project has been realised through the partnership of Novomatic and the renowned South-African casino and resort group Sun International Limited. Together Novomatic and Sun hold 80 percent of the shares, the remaining 20 percent are held by two further international industry partners. Novomatic CEO Franz Wohlfahrt said: “With this partnership we have managed to realize a totally new dimension of resort casinos in Latin-America. It is the biggest private investment of recent years in the South-American entertainment industry – and at the same time the biggest ever Austrian investment in Chile. Thus we are consistently following our strategy of securing domestic jobs and the Austrian headquarters through successful investments abroad.”
The Monticello Grand Casino & Entertainment World has created jobs for 2,200 staff. The Monticello Grand Casino, which was opened first, one year ago, has already achieved a market share of more than one third (37 percent) on the Chilean casino market. Some weeks ago the casino welcomed its one-millionth guest, clearly demonstrating the amazing success to date of the project.
The commitment of the Novomatic Group in Chile is part of a constantly growing presence throughout the South-American continent. In Peru, Europe’s biggest gaming group already operates 13 gaming operations and employs 600 staff. This summer the group has also founded the Argentine sales and service subsidiary AGI Argentina s.r.l.. In September a new subsidiary in Paraguay, Crown Gaming Paraguay S.A. was founded which offers Novomatic gaming equipment and excellent customer service to the local gaming market.
NOVOMATIC Group of Companies – comprising NOVOMATIC AG as well as the Swiss sister subsidiaries ACE Casino Holding AG and C.S.C. Casino Systems Holding AG – is one of the largest international integrated gaming groups, ranked as number one in Europe, and employs more than 15,000 staff worldwide (2,700 in Austria). Founded by the entrepreneur Prof. Johann F. Graf the group has locations in 22 countries, produced more than 100,000 gaming machines in 2008 and exports its hightech gaming equipment to 62 countries. The group also comprises Admiral Sportwetten GmbH, Austria’s leading sportsbetting operator with more than 190 outlets, and operates a total of 105,000 gaming machines in the group’s 800 plus owned electronic casinos and casinos as well as via rental concepts.
