Dominican Republic deputies approve gambling law
The Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic approved, in two consecutive readings and with urgent procedure, the bill regulating gambling, with modifications to the text previously approved by the Senate. The initiative must now return to the Upper House for evaluation of the incorporated changes.
The bill establishes a legal framework for the authorization, oversight, and supervision of individuals and legal entities that develop, operate, or market activities related to gambling and betting, both in physical establishments and through electronic platforms. Among its main provisions, it creates the General Directorate of Gambling as an autonomous body responsible for regulating, supervising, and overseeing the sector, incorporates a licensing regime with a ten-year validity for different operators, and establishes measures to prevent fraud, money laundering, and the participation of minors.
The regulation also sets new restrictions for the location of gaming establishments, which cannot be installed less than 500 meters from schools, universities, hospitals, churches, barracks, and other public buildings, and establishes minimum distances between betting shops and horse racing agencies, while casinos located in hotels are exempt from these limitations. Another notable point indicates that, once the official register of licensees is published, no new licenses for gambling establishments may be granted for a period of ten years, with the exception of casinos located in hotels and tourist areas.
The Chamber of Deputies also introduced various modifications to the articles, including adjustments to the grounds for license cancellation, clarifications on the advertising and sponsorship regime, and the incorporation of provisions related to the commercialization of electronic games and the intermediation functions of the future general directorate. The initiative contemplates a system of administrative infractions classified as minor, serious, and very serious, along with criminal penalties that can reach up to ten years in prison for those who operate without a license, manipulate bets or results, promote illegal games, or fail to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.
The approval in the Chamber of Deputies represents a new step forward for a reform that seeks to modernize the sector's regulatory framework. In June, the Senate had given preliminary approval to the bill after merging two initiatives presented by Senators Pedro Catrain and Félix Bautista, with the aim of unifying existing legislation and strengthening state supervision over the gambling industry in the country.
Tags: Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic, Directorate General of Gambling, Pedro Catrain, Félix Bautista