Every morning, a retired lady who gives her name simply as Lucia, wakes up, makes herself a cup of mate, and completes her crosswords and household chores. Then, after lunch, she makes her way to Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo (HAPSA), the city racetracks. But she’s not looking to see athletic horses. Instead she’s going underground, to the glaring, gaudy cacophony and ephemeral world of slot machines. This has been her daily routine for the past four years and, every day, hundreds of people just like her come to try their luck on one of the 5,000 slot machines that stretch out under the tracks.
Courtesy of HAPSA
Above ground everything might be exactly as you’d expect: top-class stabling, elegantly styled spectator stands, expansive exhibition halls, and modern plasma screens juxtaposing the antique charm of century-old La Paris café. You can even watch the horse racing for free if that’s what you’ve come looking for, but what you might not have imagined is what’s taking place below.
The biggest gambling hall in Latin America, HAPSA could be Argentina’s answer to Las Vegas, except that technically it’s not a casino. Since tabletop gambling is forbidden in the city of Buenos Aires, the complex opted instead to import an incredible number of US-style slot machines.
Since opening in 2002, the machines have served as a big motor that keeps the racetracks going. How much of the profit goes into maintaining the tracks is impossible to say, but these machines are certainly big business. At least 80% of the racetrack’s 2,000 employees work in the slot machine complex, and a large portion of the funding for the six years of renovations that have recently seen completion, likely came from below. The flooring of the newly renovated arts hall cost $4m alone but has since supported exhibitions by such artistic heavyweights as Francis Bacon.
Customers such as Lucia enjoy a sense of the free flowing money simply by stepping inside. A labyrinth of red-carpeted rooms comes scattered with luminous fountains, overpriced restaurants fit for every taste and even a coffee shop with live weekend shows.
“I hope other people enjoy other things in their lives,” she says. “Me, I really like this place, because I can come on my own and leave the house for a while.”
If you want your own slice of the money that rolls around here, then all you need is luck. “I know some people who touch the machines to feel their ‘vibe’ first,” she says. “Others walk around to see which ones call to them, but, personally, I don’t do anything to bring luck.”
The biggest jackpots ever awarded here were in October 2008, when $2.9m was paid out, and around the same time in 2009, when a whopping $1.5m was won. Strangely, both came from an island of Star Wars machines, all illuminated by flashing lights and luring in potential winners with a screen showing clips from the film.
Lucia remains realistic about the possibilities: “The most I ever won was $15,000,” she says. ”But I do realise that everything I win is just a temporary loan because, eventually, it will all go back in the machine anyway.”
Courtesy of HAPSA
Open 24 hours a day, the clientele are mostly pensioners during the day with evenings bringing a more varied mix of people. Interestingly, whatever the time of day, the crowd is noticeably female. Women make up 54% of HAPSA Club cardholders, a loyalty scheme specifically for the slot machines.
There are times, however, when loyalty becomes dependence and in these situations customers can turn to Juego Responsable – a support scheme that aims to help people with an addiction to gambling. Part of the commitment involves signing a ‘self-exclusion’ document whereby the person permits the staff to invite them to leave should they decide to return.
Like several others propping up Palermo’s slot machines, Lucia plays her gaming down, describing it as a way of entertainment like any other. In the end, she adds: “I know this is a drug. It’s about the adrenaline rush and the thrill of it all. That’s what people come here for – the excitement – isn’t it?”
And we thought it was all about the flashing lights.
Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, Av. de Libertador 4101. The slot machine halls beneath the racetracks are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with free entrance to anyone aged 18 and over. Minors are permitted only when accompanied.
