CAPE TOWN - In a blow for Sun International, the group has had to close down more of its operations in Latin America, with the latest closure in Chile due to the coronavirus.
This follows the closure of its operations in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Panama to halt the spread of Covid-19. The group said yesterday that it would be closing all its casinos in Chile, along with the hotels and food and beverage operations, from today until Sunday, March 29, in response to instructions from the Chilean Superintendency of Gambling Casinos.
This week, the group reported for the year to the end of December that it had been “particularly pleased with its Latam operations, which showed resilience in the face of unexpected and widespread social unrest in Chile during the last quarter”.
The group - which operates in the hotel, resort, casino and gaming sectors - said at this stage it was not certain when they would be allowed to reopen.
“The measures taken are in accordance with the instructions of the pertinent authorities, in order to ensure the containment of the spread of the virus. The authorities will continue to monitor the situation to determine when we will be permitted to reopen. Regarding the duration of the closures, it is not possible at this stage to determine their effect,” it said. Sun International said it continued to monitor the situation and would attempt to minimise the cost of the closures.