The Ovalle Casino Resort in Chile was originally expected to open in about a month, but developers, the?Boldt Group in association with Grup Peralada, are still awaiting final acceptance of the facilities by?the Directorate of Municipal Works, according an article in Spanish language news outlet,?semanario tiempo. Casino manager,?Juan Almagro, told the outlet that the structure and inside facilities have been completed and they are submitting documents to the municipal authority.
Contractors are putting the finishing touches on interior design and installing equipment, while outside, work is progressing on the 1,200 seat amphitheater.
The permitting and acceptance process in?Limarí’s provincial capital is quite strict and complex with multiple agencies needing to sign off various aspects of the development including hotel rooms, restaurants, the spa, and even meeting rooms, said the manager. Once all of the normal bureaucratic hurdles have been cleared, the Chilean Superintendent of Casinos (Superintendencia de Casinos) must give his stamp of approval, even tough the agency has been inspecting the works monthly throughout the resort’s construction process. No date has been given developers when final approvals may occur.
Almagro added that about 75 people have already been hired and are undergoing training in dealer and slot host positions as well as general customer service. Another 50 people have been hired for other positions. Another 175 positions have been contracted with candidates selected and they will be ready to assume duties when the facilities finally open this spring or summer. In all 1,500 temporary and permanent positions were created by the $50 million development.
Boldt Peralada won the license for the casino resort in September 2013.