Dominican Republic proposes creation of new gambling regulator
The move comes after controversy around the existing Directorate of Casinos and Gambling.
Dominican Republic.- President Luis Abinader has presented a bill that would create a new gambling regulator in the Dominican Republic. Presented to the country’s Senate, the proposal would establish the Dirección General de Juegos de Azar (DGJA / General Directorate of Games of Chance) as a new regulator with responsibility for all verticals.
The Ministry of Finance intends to create the DGJA as a decentralised public body that would monitor compliance and oversee tax and fee collection. It would have the power to impose sanctions against both companies and individuals in the gaming sector and would aim to increase controls to prevent money laundering.
The regulator would oversee all gaming sectors, from land-based casinos, retail sports betting kiosks, lottery outlets and horse racing agencies to online gambling, bingo and charity and non-charity raffles. Enforcement actions would require a formal investigation led by the DGJA’s director general and conducted by a designated administrative unit, whose findings would be reviewed by the Technical Council.
The regulator itself would draw up procedures and guidelines for the industry, including technical standards for games and data security and compliance requirements for anti-money laundering and consumer protection.
Rules for land-based gambling operations.
The bill also sets out regulations and a tax framework for land-based casinos, which would be allowed only in hotels that have a four-star rating or higher from the Ministry of Tourism. Casino licences would be granted for five years.
Casinos operating up to 15 gaming tables would pay RD$55,853 ($946) per table per month. Those operating between 16 and 35 tables would be charged RD$64,446 per table for each additional table, rising to RD$85,927 per table for that point.
Slot machine halls would only be allowed at casinos, hotels with one to three stars and authorised retail sportsbooks. Slots would be subject to a 5 per cent tax on gross sales payable each month to the federal tax agency, the Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII).
The bill also introduces distance requirements for gambling venues in different segments. Lottery kiosks would not be allowed within 200 metres of schools, childcare centres, hospitals, places of worship or state powers or constitutional bodies’ main offices. Sports betting venues would have to be at least 500 metres from the same.
The bill proposes sentences of up to 10 years in prison for breaches of the new regulations
The country’s existing regulator, the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling (DCJA), has been hit by several controversies, including a major case of fraud in the Dominican Republic’s National Lottery. The Ministry of Finance’s new proposal is aim to draw a line under controversies while also bringing all gambling verticals under coordinated oversight.
