オペレーターニュース

Andorra – Andorran Government extends deadline to respond to complaints over tender

The Government of Andorra has extended the deadline in order to prepare its response to an appeal put forward by five of the operators who applied for but were denied the single casino licence in Andorra.

The Andorran Gaming Control Board (CRAJ) now has until November 27 to answer why it awarded the licence to Company Jocs SA to build and operate the new casino at the end of June. With 100 per cent capital coming from Andorra, the company plans to build the casino on Prat de la Creu street in the capital, Andorra la Vella.

On the one hand, it is good news for the operators, who were unsatisfied with the way the tender was handled as it means that the government is looking into the way the process was carried out. At the same time it may not be enough time to reverse the decision and the licence could well be awarded to the current winner.

According to local press, one of the appeals accuses the director of the gaming board, Xavier Bardina, of having interfered in the process. The appeal argues that Bardina exceeded his role in the process multiple times and that he made decisions that should have been made by evaluation board. The claims, if true, could be sufficient cause for the annulment of the entire process.

In October four of the groups that took part in the bidding process for the casino in Andorra requested legal safeguards from the government so that the granting of the license to the winner, be suspended as a precautionary measure. The four operators – Casinos Austria, Genting, Partouche and Cirsa – have asked the Andorran executive for the suspension of the licensing process until the resolution of the five appeals is made public (the fifth is from the Barrière group) they said in a statement.

5件の苦情のうち、4件はライセンス付与の「完全な無効」を求めている。アンドラ行政府がライセンスの付与を停止しなければ、政府は「困難または不可能な補償結果」に直面しなければならないと両社は警告している。声明によると、その後の法的措置の一部には、入札に参加した残りの応募者に対する数百万ドル相当の賠償金が含まれる可能性があるという。