According to investigative reporter Maria Isabel Soldevila, writing for Listin Diario, the Ministry of Labor has detected the firing of pregnant employees, millions in arrears in payments owed to social security affecting hundreds of employees and the non-payment of salaries due in the operations of the Dream Corporation of casinos and betting shops managed by the company.
The newspaper had access to the information outlined in the Ministry inspections. One of the Ministry of Labor reports dated 3 December 2014, reveals a conversation with Fidel Garcia, who identified himself as the Dream Casinos Human Resources manager: “What is happening with the company is difficult due to the conflicts between the partners, which have led to the bank accounts being embargoed, and as a result this has affected the company’s operation. Inversiones Valona is supposed to take care of Social Security matters for the seven casinos and as a result our Social Security obligations have been affected and we now owe millions in arrears. This issue is being handled by an external office.”
The Dream Corporation is at the center of an international fraud scandal exceeding US$100 million and includes the possible involvement of Canadian mafia-like networks. Canadian newspapers including The Globe and Mail and CBC report that Dream was able to operate 1,000 betting offices and 200 sports betting shops in the DR, according to the Ministry of Hacienda’s Casinos and Gambling Department webpage.