ACCJ warns Chile’s online betting bill threatens licensed casinos
Regulation1 min read
Chile’s Executive has presented amendments to the online betting bill in the Senate. ACCJ executive president Cecilia Valdés said a proposed 3,000 UTM transitional payment and differing tax obligations could create unequal competition and threaten licensed casinos, while calling for broader regulation.
Chile’s Executive has submitted amendments to a bill regulating online betting, which is before the Senate. A proposed transitional regime would allow online betting platforms to operate upon payment of 3,000 UTM.
Cecilia Valdés, executive president of Chile’s casino association ACCJ, welcomed the amendments’ more comprehensive approach but warned in an interview with Diario Financiero’s DF al Cierre that regulatory and tax differences could threaten licensed casinos. She described the transitional regime as a pardon for platforms that had operated illegally, arguing that it offered insufficient consequences and changed the conditions originally envisaged for new entrants.
Valdés said licensed casinos faced greater tax obligations, including specific taxes that directly fund municipalities and regional governments. She urged lawmakers to consider the effect on a regulated industry that generates employment, investment and regional resources.
A proposed mechanism would allow licensed casinos to enter the online market through agreements with platform operators, but Valdés said it did not offer the most competitive conditions for the industry. The ACCJ called for broader regulation to address the differences and protect licensed casinos, particularly ahead of upcoming tender processes.