Chile Moves Forward with Online Gambling
Author:
Muhammad Gregory
Chile is one of several Latin American countries dealing with ongoing discussions over online gambling. Like Brazil, an online gaming law was on the table for some time. The project has recently been addressed again in Chile and would encompass both online gaming and sports betting. Now, those involved within the government must assess and implement next steps.
Representatives from Coljuegos (Colombia) visited with SCJ (Chile) to assist in upcoming plans for regulating remote betting.
?Mario Gogh/Unsplash
Initial steps towards online gaming in Chile
The first move from the Economic Commission of the Chamber of Deputies in Chile was to approve the government moving forward with an online gaming bill. Now, it is possible to move forward with several necessary meetings that pertain to the legalization effort.
One of the first meetings to take place in this renewed period of interest for the bill was between Superintendent of Gaming Casinos, Vivien Villagrán and Andrés Herrera, the director of the National Consumer Service (SERNAC). This occurred in early June 2023.
The emphasis of the two directors’ discussion was on protecting consumer rights in Chile, an important topic when it comes to opening up the country to online betting platforms — which are more often than not, operated by foreign entities. The hope is that regulation will make it easier for the government to protect consumers from nefarious sites.
In order to ensure this, licensed platforms must be held to a high standard. It is these standards that Villagrán and Herrera hope to come to agreement about and find a way to develop the industry.
Colombia’s Coljuegos meets with Chilean authorities
The next important session around online gaming took place on June 7th between SCJ officials and representatives from Coljuegos, of Colombia. The two met for a full day of activities where they had a chance to discuss online gaming and share expertise.
Similar collaborative meetings have taken place between Latin American governments before when it comes to the topic of gaming. For example, Coljuegos also met with Peruvian authorities in 2022. Peru’s gaming director, Yuri Guerra Padilla, traveled to Bogotá to tour facilities and learn more about how Colombia has successfully navigated remote gaming.
Other issues in Chilean gaming
As those following online betting developments in Chile know, the matter has been in discussion for a long time. It picked up momentum in spring 2022 but unfortunately was dropped again due to issues around new tax reforms.
The issue has simply stalled for more than a year, though there is still immense interest in legalizing online gaming. Projected potential profits are high and would constitute a significant contribution to the national economy.
However, Chile also has several other gaming-related issues to address, which may take energy away from the remote betting issue. For one, its top casino operators recently gave up on their long campaign to merge companies. Dreams and Enjoy have also faced legal issues for an alleged collusion case.
Meanwhile, specific Chilean towns and provinces also are dealing with illegal gambling, including popular casinos. Despite clear land-based gaming regulation, it has been difficult to get support in the closure of casinos in Valdivia, for example. Adding further complications, Dreams is involved in the fight, attempting to help remove illegal casino gaming which is in competition to its own Valdivia casino location.
