Casino Resorts Planned For Guatemala, Operator Unknown

A Seattle developer has been doing a lot of business in Guatemala and has decided that the time is right for casinos in the country. While there are skeptics of the plan, Jim Alekson believes that the casinos will help with the overall growth of the country.

One of the main reasons that Alekson is working with the government in Guatemala is to raise money for various charities. The Guatemala Pediatric Association is going to be the main beneficiary of the casinos.

The agreement that Alekson has struck with the government in Guatemala calls for six gaming licenses. In exchange for the licenses, Alekson agrees to pay twenty percent of the net gaming revenue to the Guatemala Pediatric Association. Other charities will also benefit from the casinos.

"Primarily, we are being set up so we can take the majority of the profits for some resorts and use them for various government agencies to improve the lives of the people of Guatemala," said Alekson, as reported on Hotelsmag.com.

When Alekson first visited Guatemala, casinos were the furthest thing from his mind. In the time that he spent there, however, his opinions have changed, and he now believes that casinos could prosper in the country.

"I was invited to Guatemala a couple of years ago, and I looked at the country and thought, 'Oh, do I really want to get involved in what I perceived to be a Third World country?'" said Alekson, "Of course, my perception of the country has changed dramatically over the time I've been working there."

August 2, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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