Brazil’s pesky Winfil casino may have been shut down for good following its latest attempt to offer real-money slots play in defiance of local laws.
On March 29, authorities in the city of Porto Alegre in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul ordered the closure of Winfil, a nightspot operated by Catalan-based gaming operator Grupo Pefaco. Once again, the venue was accused of offering real-money slots play over the strident objections of local authorities.
Winfil launched last October, offering hundreds of slot machines configured to operate in free-play ‘demonstration’ mode only. Before the month was through, police raided the property after getting word that Winfil’s slots were now allowing real-money play. Several hundred of the offending machines were duly confiscated, along with the cash they contained.
Winfil’s attorneys claimed to have received authorization from a local court to make the switch to real-money play, but even the judge who handled the case rejected Winfil’s interpretation of her ruling, saying she’d only suggested that the cops had no authority to confiscate the free-play machines.