In 2005 South America was home to approximately 385 million people. It’s estimated that that number has increased by about 6% annually since that time. That would make the 2013 estimated population of South America 486,991,087. There are several languages and currencies used throughout South America. It is also one of the largest regions that offer legal online gaming options for citizens in its neighboring countries.
South American Countries
South America’s population is spread across 15 countries, 9 of which offer licensed and legally casinos, and 4 of which feature race tracks where betting is allowed. There are two countries in South Americathat don’t have any casinos at all one of which is Brazil which is actually the largest country on the continent, and the 5th largest country, based on both populat and land mass, in the entire world, and Bolivia.
Colombia Gambling
There are several casinos located in Colombia that are legally licensed to operate. There are also a few Columbian rogue casinos that are operating with no license at all. The ‘casino capital’ of Columbia is Bogota where tourists and locals alike can wager on a variety of casino in any one of several casinos.
Bogota, Colombia
Bogota is the largest city located within Columbia in South America. The city hosts several casinos most of which are owned and operated by Cirsa the largest gaming conglomerate in Columbia.
Argentina Casinos and Poker Games
Argentina, which is officially known as the Argentine Republic is the 2nd largest country in all of South America, it’s also the 2nd largest country in the Latin Region. Argentina is made up of 23 provicences and 1 autonomous city, Buenos Aires. The official language of Argentina is Spanish. The official currency of Argentina is the Peso.
At current in Argentina gambling is legal and privatized; however there is talk that current president Cristina is making moves towards changing the law to establish a system whereas the government would control all gambling and casinos and therefore receive the majority of the profit that the private sector is currently earning from owning and operating casinos and gambling games.
Peru
Officially known as the Republic of Peru, Peru is located in Western South America. The country is neighbors with Ecuador and Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and the Pacific Ocean. The most predominantly spoken language in South America’s Peru is Spanish; however Quechua is still a prevalent language in the area, in addition to many other native languages that aren’t spoken as widely.
There are about 50 brick and mortar casinos located in Peru, in addition to several race tracks. Online slots and other casino gambling are also legal in Peru.
Venezuela
Venezuela is located on the Northern Coast of South America. The most commonly spoken language of Venezuela is Venezuelan Spanish however the country recognizes more than 30 indigenous languages. The Bolívar fuerte is the official currency of Venezuela. There are just a handful of land based casinos in Venezuela. There are several online casinos and poker sites available to Venezuelans.
Chile
The official name for Chile is the Republic of Chile. Chile is located on a long piece of land in South America that’s found between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. The country also borders Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and the Drake Passage. A unique Chilean Spanish dialect is spoken throughout Chile in addition to several indigenous languages; such as: Mapudungun, Quechua, Aymara and Rapa Nui. The official currency of Chile is the Peso.
Chilean Casinos
- Casino Monticello
- Casino Coquimbo
- Casino Iquique
- Casino Marina del Sol
- Casino Puerto Varas
- Casino de Arica
- Enjoy Vina del Mar – Casino & Resort
- Hotel del Lago Resort & Casino
Ecuador
The Republic of Ecuador borders Colombia, Peru and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Ecuador and Chile are actually the only two in the entire South American continent that do not border Brazil at any point. In addition to the main parcel of land that makes up Ecuador, the country also includes the Galápagos Islands. The official currency of Ecuador is the United States dollar.
There are about 12 live casinos located in Ecuador.
Bolivia
Bolivia is officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Bolivia is landlocked, meaning it has no coastal access to the Pacific Ocean. The country borders Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Though Spanish is the official language of Bolivians, Guarani, Aymara and Quechua among other languages are all still commonly used.
Bolivia is a gamblers paradise featuring more than 80 casinos as of 2011. In fact, the Government seeing tremendous growth in the Bolivian gambling market recently increased the amount of taxes paid by casino operators in Bolivia and introduced Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social del Juego, the new gambling authority in Bolivia.
Paraguay
The Republic of Paraguay is home to the Paraguay River, which runs right through its center. More than 90% of the population of Paraguay is bilingual speaking both Spanish and Guaraní. The official currency of Paraguay is Guaraní. There are a few casinos left in business in Paraguay; however, due to a Government crackdown on unlicensed casinos, many older casinos that didn’t meet new standards were forced to close their doors.
Paraguay’s lottery is very popular among citizens as it’s more so a sportsbook.
Uruguay
Officially Oriental Republic of Uruguay, but often referred to as the Eastern Republic of Uruguay is a country located in the South East area of South America. Uruguayan people speak a version of Spanish that was somewhat altered by the number of Italian immigrants to the area who spoke ‘cocoliche’ a mixture of both Spanish and Italian, many ‘cocoliche’ words are still used in Uruguayan language. The Uruguayan peso is the official currency of Uruguay. There about 2 dozen casinos located within Uruguay.
Guyana
Officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Guyana is a Sovereign State that is found on the Northern Coast of South America. English is the official language of Guyana, which is considered to be part of the Caribbean’s, in fact; it’s the only part of the Caribbean’s that isn’t an island. The main currency in Guyana is the Guyanese dollar.
The first casino in Guyana actually opened in Georgetown at the Princess Hotel, in 2010.
Suriname
Officially known as the Republic of Suriname, Suriname is located in Northern South America. The official language of Suriname, which can also be referred to as Surinam, is Dutch. The official currency in Suriname is the Surinamese dollar.
There are two casinos located in Suriname.
Horse Racing in Brazil
There are a number of punters available in Brazil, as well as online that allow bettors to place wagers on horse racing events that happen at the tracks in Brazil, and all over the world.
Cidade Jardim Racetrack
Cidade Jardim is located in São Paulo, Brazil. The establishment features four racing tracks including grass track that measures 2,119 meters a sand covered round track that measures 1,993 meters. In addition to those two tracks that are used for official horse races, two more tracks are available for training.
More Brazilian Racetracks
- Tarumã Racetrack
- Cristal Racetrack.
- Jockey Club in Rio Grande do Sul
Bingo in South America
There are many bingo halls in South America for instance; in Bolivia gambling wasn’t legal until 2002 when the country authorized the opening of one casino which was based on a bingo hall. There are bingo halls in Bolivia that just offer bingo games; there are also Bolivian bingo halls that feature video poker and/or video roulette games. The largest provider of bingo games in Bolivia is operated by Bingo Bahiti, a company that operates a chain of bingo sites in the country.
Bingo players in Bolivia and other areas of South America are able to play bingo online as well.
Sources:
http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/colombia
http://www.frixo.com
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