The government of Andorra has extended the deadline for considering the appeal, launched collectively by Genting, Grupo CIRSA, Casinos Austria, and Partouche France, against the May decision to award the tiny nation’s upcoming first casino license to regional operator Jocs SA.
Government representatives stated that they would set in place two extension periods for the process, which is the legal maximum permitted in such cases. The new final deadline is now set for November 27th.
Prime Minister Antoni Marti said recently that the reason for the delay is the sheer volume of documentation.
The complainants fear that the license could be legally awarded once the deadline has passed regardless of whether the government has ruled on the appeal.
Legal issues have been brewing in Andorra for some time now, with four of the twelve rejected participants in the frenetic bidding for the country’s only casino license contending that there were irregularities in the approval process.
They have further intimated that they have evidence that the awarded party, Jocs SA, has at least four key operational and resource-based requirements for the role which it cannot fulfill.
According to reports, the four complaining parties have requested that the government temporarily suspend Jocs SA’s license.
The protesting companies are arguing that the Andorran government have a political responsibility to make the best license award both for the country’s benefit and to attract potential international investors. The bid put forward by Jocs SA was reportedly an order of magnitude lower than some of the other reported bids. The suspension has therefore been requested in defence of the general interest.
Should their license ultimately be upheld, Jocs SA plans to run the casino in partnership with Novomatic Group.
