(H1): Opportunity to expand casino tourism (Paraguay)

Short: "window of opportunity" is open

Tourism updated its historical maximum in 2024: 1,061,338 tourists + 1,172,404 sightseers (2.23 million visits, + 22% by 2023), according to SENATUR. This expands the base for "accommodation + entertainment" packages.

CONAJZAR shows record collection: G. 15.521 billion in October-2024 and G. 143.376 billion in Jan-Oct (≈ + 10% YoY); at the end of the year - ~ USD 22.2 million. Since 2025, the regulator has been integrated into DNIT (Ley 7438/2025; Decree 3846/2025), which strengthens control and transparency.

The country already has ready-made casino-tourism anchors: Hotel Casino Acaray in Ciudad del Este and Carnaval Hotel Casino in Encarnación.

Encarnacion has a sambodrome (Centro Cívico), carnival infrastructure (≈11 -12 thousand seats), which creates massive event demand for hotels and casinos in the season.

Where to scale demand: two "showcases" of the country

1) Ciudad del Este (Triple Frontier)

Acaray is a historic casino hotel (founded in 1965 to stimulate tourism in the east), today it is a complete resort set: casino, spa, gastronomy, views of Parana. This is a ready-made scene for shopping + nature + game packages.

Growth ideas: VIP transfer from trade clusters/border, evening shows, weekend tournaments, collaborations with Foz/PUERTO Iguazú travel agencies.

2) Encarnación (beach + carnival)

Carnaval Hotel Casino is embedded in the city's resort landscape and carnival calendar. Peak attendance at the sambodrome allows you to "stitch" tickets to shows, accommodation and game packages.

Growth ideas: "Carnival passes" with accommodation, gastro weekends, family formats without an emphasis on bets in the daytime and the game program - after 22:00.

Why the regulatory environment now helps tourism

Integration of CONAJZAR into DNIT (Ley 7438/2025; Decree 3846/2025) = a single window of fiscal control, combating illegal online and increasing confidence in the industry among municipalities and tourism partners.

The growth of canons (2024) demonstrates the "whitewashing" of demand and the potential for co-financing events/infrastructure in tourist hubs.

Product matrix: how to "glue" the game + rest + events

1. Event-Bundles: "Carnival/concert + night at the hotel-casino + dinner + initial credit/chips with restriction" - hard limits and responsibility in the offer.

2. Sports-Weekends: packages for top matches Examples/CONMEBOL with viewing in a casino bar and a night program. (Use the regulator's responsible advertising rules.)

3. MICE + Gaming: corporate rallies on weekdays (low season) + evening poker tournaments/slot tournaments with transparent regulations and RG briefing.

4. Family-Split: daytime family activities (beach/spa/children's rooms) + "18 + evening" with a clear division of zones.

Channels of attraction

Packages with frontier tour operators (Foz do Iguaçu, Posadas) and cross-selling at points of entry. The growth of tourist flow 2024 confirms the attractiveness of such a model.

Air + Ground combination: meet-and-greet, transfer to the sambodrome/waterfront and back to the hotel-casino.

Digital showcase with confidence marks: official status from CONAJZAR/DNIT, transparent rules, Responsible Gaming on each landing.

Economic impact: what the city/region gets

Overnight stays and a check for a place: events (carnival, tournaments) convert tourists into overnight tourists, which increases RevPAR and the share of restaurants/entertainment. Confirmed by SENATUR statistics on the growth of visits in 2024.

Fiscal feedback: record canons of 2024 and enhanced DNIT control allow cities to argue for investments in embankments, sites, light/safety.

Risks and how to reduce them

Gray online and reputation → distinction: on sites/stands - legal details, links to the regulator, uniform promo rules.

Overheating promo → without "easy money," age tags, daytime family activities - separately from play areas.

Seasonality → MICE calendar and gastro festivals in the "low" months.

Road map for 12-18 months (for city and hotel-casino)

1. Calendar of events: book carnival dates, 3-4 major weekends and 6-8 MICE weeks.

2. Showcase package: "Carnival Passes," "Derby Night," "Weekend en la Costanera" - with RG conditions and return of armor.

3. Partnerships: SENATUR/municipality, tour operators of the border, air packages.

4. Trust marketing: place links to DNIT/CONAJZAR, safety KPIs and RG tools on landing pages.

5. Effect measurement: track load, average check, share of guests from neighboring countries, contribution of event weekends to revenue.

Paraguay is entering a phase where real demand (2.23 million visits in 2024), ready-made anchors (Acaray, Carnaval) and increased CONAJZAR→DNIT regulation create a rare opportunity to scale casino tourism. Betting on events (carnival/MICE/sports), cross-packages and transparent communication with an emphasis on Responsible Gaming allows you to increase overnight stays and fiscal receipts - while maintaining the trust of guests and local communities.

• SENATUR/Agencia IP - tourism-2024 (2.23 million visits, + 22%); MEF/DNIT/CONAJZAR - record fees 2024; Ley 7438/2025 and Decree 3846/2025 (CONAJZAR integration into DNIT); сайты Hotel Casino Acaray и Carnaval Hotel Casino; materials on the Encarnacion sambodrome.