Grupo Meier looking to join antitrust case against rivals in Chile

Casino operator Grupo Meier has formally requested to join the Antitrust Court (Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia – TDLC) in the ongoing case against Dreams, Enjoy, and Marina del Sol, which are accused of colluding in the municipal casino bidding process.

Through its subsidiaries Casino del Mar, Casino del Maule, and Gran Casino de Talca, the Peruvian operator seeks to be recognized as a third party supporting the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE) in backing the accusation against the operators.

In its statement, the corporation argues that the TDLC should annul the permits obtained by the companies involved in the 2020 and 2021 tenders, claiming that the alleged collusion has affected free competition, hindering its group from operating under equitable conditions.

The document presented to the court indicates that Casino del Maule and Casino del Mar were direct and potential competitors of the accused companies in the tenders. It also argues that the “abnormal profits obtained by the accused firms” would have allowed them to artificially subsidize their bids in future tender processes, which would disadvantage other players in the sector.

In October the FNE accused casino companies Dreams, Enjoy, and Marina del Sol, along with five of their senior executives, of colluding to secure bidding for operating permits nationwide. In a filing submitted to the TDLC the FNE specified that for the bidding processes conducted by the Superintendence of Gaming Casinos (SCJ) in 2020 and 2021, the companies agreed that each would bid for the renewal of the permits they already held at that time. The FNE requested the TDLC to impose fines to benefit the treasury totalling 171,354 Annual Tax Units (UTA), equivalent to US$151.9 million. These allegations have been strongly denied by the accused parties.

In April 2023 Grupo Meier filed a complaint with the Superintendence of Gaming Casinos (SCJ) demanding that the tender involving Dreams, Enjoy and Marina del Sol be revoked. Grupo Meier based its claims on a report prepared by law firm Contreras Velozo on their behalf. In a letter to the SJC, the company’s manager claimed that the companies had worked together in order to divide twelve casino licenses amongst themselves.

The post Grupo Meier looking to join antitrust case against rivals in Chile appeared first on G3 Newswire.

​Casino operator Grupo Meier has formally requested to join the Antitrust Court (Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia – TDLC) in the ongoing case against Dreams, Enjoy, and Marina del Sol, which are accused of colluding in the municipal casino bidding process. Through its subsidiaries Casino del Mar, Casino del Maule, and Gran Casino de…
The post Grupo Meier looking to join antitrust case against rivals in Chile appeared first on G3 Newswire.