National raffle licenses expire in November in Paraguay
On November 13, Paraguay could be left without any company authorized to sell raffles nationwide. That day marks two years since the only two authorizations still in force, signed by the National Gambling Commission (Conajzar) on November 13, 2024, expire.
The holders are Grupo Car Show S.A., authorized by Conajzar Resolution N°71/2024, and Technologies Development of Paraguay S.A., by Conajzar Resolution N°77/2024. The two-year period begins when operations truly start, so the expiration is projected for that date.
What these resolutions allow to be sold are not minor prizes. The regime authorizes raffles whose prizes include cars, motorcycles, ATVs, and electric scooters, among other expensive goods, and companies can market them through two channels: in-person, with printed coupons or tickets dispatched at stores and terminals, and digital, through their websites and official applications.
The payment structure has a guaranteed floor. Each operator pays a minimum monthly fee of PYG 55,000,000, and if the revenue for the month exceeds that base, an additional 7 percent is added on the Net Win, meaning on the amount remaining after prizes are paid. This floor is updated once a year, starting from the thirteenth month, and the National Tax Revenue Directorate (DNIT) is responsible for collecting and managing these resources.
The market has also shrunk from two other sides. Conajzar president, Carlos Liseras, explained to the newspaper Última Hora that Larifamos EAS's permit expired and that Giro Win Gaming EAS itself requested to cancel its license.
The biggest problem, however, is outside the authorized circuit. Liseras warned that cases have appeared in Ciudad del Este, Alto Paraná, and the Central Department: mayors authorizing commercial-scale raffles that then end up being sold nationwide by influencers, bypassing the national jurisdiction of the body. He announced strong interventions together with the DNIT, spoke of serious conflicts with several mayors, and confirmed that complaints have already been filed with the Prosecutor's Office.
Conajzar is the body that regulates and grants gambling licenses in Paraguay, including national-scope raffles, while municipalities retain jurisdiction over local-scope activities. This boundary between municipal and national is what the regulator says is blurring when a raffle authorized by a mayor ends up being sold across the entire territory via social media.
Tags: National Gaming Commission, lotteries in Paraguay, Carlos Liseras, National Tax Revenue Directorate