La Polla Chilena sues payment processors over illegal gambling
The state-owned company filed a criminal complaint for money laundering and illicit association against six payment service providers (PSPs). The move seeks to stifle the financial operations of international platforms by identifying local intermediaries as "essential" components of illegal activity.
Polla Chilena de Beneficencia has decided to shift its judicial focus. After years of directly pursuing betting platforms, the state entity has filed a complaint with the 4th Guarantee Court of Santiago targeting the infrastructure that enables the flow of money: payment processors.
The criminal action targets the legal representatives of six renowned firms in the payment gateway sector: Khipu, Kushki, Nuvei, ALPS, Pronto Pago, and Pagadoor. They are accused of money laundering and illicit association, arguing that their tools provide an "appearance of normality" to transactions linked to an activity that the state considers illegal in Chile.
The Strategic Shift: Blocking Access to Capital
Polla Chilena maintains that, since many operators are based outside national jurisdiction, direct prosecution has been complex. Therefore, the focus is now on local financial intermediaries, considered essential for:
- Collecting deposits and funds from Chilean users.
- Paying out prizes through the formal banking system.
- Remitting funds abroad.
This move comes after the dismissal in 2025 of a previous case against operators due to lack of evidence, which forced the state company to rethink its strategy to protect its market share.
Economic and Social Impact
In financial terms, Polla Chilena estimates that the expansion of unregulated online gambling has caused losses exceeding CLP 50 billion (approx. US$ 58.4 million) in the last three years. According to the company, this deficit directly impacts public coffers, reducing contributions allocated to sports and national infrastructure.
Macarena Carvallo, chairwoman of the board, emphasized that the complaint seeks to safeguard public resources and warned about the social cost of these platforms, especially regarding the exposure of young people to betting without responsible gambling controls.
Next Judicial Steps
The complaint has already been declared admissible by the court, so the Public Ministry will initiate the corresponding criminal investigation. Furthermore, Polla Chilena announced that it does not rule out initiating civil actions to claim compensation for the economic damages suffered due to competition from unauthorized platforms.
Tags: Chile, La Polla Chilena, Chile casino payment methods