Chilean government accepts online gambling resolutions
The government has accepted resolutions proposed by the Chamber of Deputies Economic Commission.
Chile.- The government of Chile has accepted resolutions for the launch of regulated online gambling proposed by the Chamber of Deputies Economic Commission. The 15 new articles define the online gambling activities to be licensed and those to be prohibited.
Drafted by economic undersecretary Heidi Berner with the assistance of Vivien Villagrán, the superintendent of Gaming Casinos Chile (SCJ), the articles are part of the legislative framework for Bill 035/2022, which will legalise online gambling and sports betting.
Since the bill was authorised in March, government departments have been working on policy provisions. The new articles set out the context for the prosecution of criminal activity connected to online gambling, introducing criminal penalties for the violation of online gambling regulations.
Article 40 will allow authorities to prosecute unlicensed gambling, while Article 15 imposes penalties of minor imprisonment and a fine of 15 to 20 monthly tax units for the alteration of a betting event to affect a market outcome. Other articles deal with penalties for corruption, cybercrime and fraud related to online gambling. Berner said the articles would “safeguard transparency and safety in virtual betting activities”.
To operate online gambling in Chile, licensees will need to register all products with the Ministry of Finance and will need to register a legal beneficiary to represent the licence. The beneficiary can be Chilean or foreign and will hold voting privileges or veto rights related to an applicant or operating firm.
The Ministry of Finance expects to publish its recommendations on licensing fees and tax proposals in the coming weeks as the government aims to launch regulated online gambling by the end of the year.
Last month, the National Congress announced the creation of a commission to review Chile’s rules on sports betting advertising. The commission, led by sports minister Jaime Pizarro, will review the relationships between football clubs and both international and domestic gambling companies. It will also probe a disagreement between the National Association of Professional Football (ANFP) and the Ministry of Justice about betting sponsorship.
The ministry has ordered the ANFP to enforce rules introduced in Chile’s new Sports Integrity Bill, which bans the marketing of illegal activities. However, the ANFP argues that sports betting is legal and that it expects the government to introduce a legal framework.
