FENABANCA requests 90 days to propose changes to the new law
The Dominican gaming sector supported the new law while simultaneously requesting time to amend it. The National Federation of Lottery Agencies of the Dominican Republic (FENABANCA) agreed to establish a working group that, for 90 days from the promulgation, will identify the modifications needed for the text before submitting them to the National Congress.
The agreement was not made by a single entity. In addition to FENABANCA itself, it was signed by the Dominican Equestrian Commission, the Association of Sports Betting Agencies (ADOBAD), the Dominican Association of Gaming Casinos, and concessionaires of private lotteries and games of chance, among other industry stakeholders, as reported by the local media outlet El Día.
Cristian Guzmán, the federation's secretary general, explained the dual position in an interview with CDN. He celebrated the approval because, in his opinion, the previous regulations were scattered and unclear, and he maintained that the new legislation largely modernizes gaming regulation in the country. At the same time, he acknowledged that the bill needs improvements and recalled that taking those 90 days among the different sectors was one of the commitments made from the outset.
The text to be adjusted reached the Executive on September 16, when the Senate approved the modifications introduced by the Chamber of Deputies. Its stated objective is to unify casinos, lottery agencies, sports betting, bingo, slot machines, and online gaming under a single umbrella, through an autonomous general directorate that centralizes the control and oversight of all these modalities.
One of the most innovative provisions targets the illegal market, and it is technical rather than declarative. The law articulates the new regulator with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) and the banking network to detect unauthorized sites and applications. According to the newspaper Hoy, this will allow it to issue blocking orders for domains and IP addresses of clandestine platforms, while banks and payment gateways will be enabled to halt transfers and deposits directed to those operators.
The other novelty with a direct impact on betting agencies is territorial. No betting center may be established within a 500-meter radius of places frequented by children and families: universities, health centers, churches, daycare centers, and schools. Non-compliance with this distance can be costly: the penalty escalates to ten years of disqualification from receiving new licenses in the sector.
Lottery agencies are the most widespread gaming channel in the Dominican Republic, with thousands of points distributed throughout the territory, so the distance rule and the new licensing regime fully affect them. The working group promoted by FENABANCA will only begin its work once the president promulgates the law, a step that is still pending and also allows for the return of the text with observations.
Tags: FENABANCA, General Gaming Law, INDOTEL, Dominican lottery parlors