Chilean lawmakers propose casino and online betting restrictions for debtors

A bill presented in Chile's Congress would bar people listed in the Registro Nacional de Deudores de Pensiones de Alimentos from entering casinos, and would require authorised online betting platforms to suspend the accounts and betting operations of listed users. The proposal was put forward by Deputy Irací Hassler with other parliamentarians and social organisations under the slogan "Sin pensión no hay diversión". It must pass through Congress before it can become law.

Under the bill, casino operating companies would have to consult the register before allowing a person to enter, and would have to deny access to anyone with a current listing. Authorised online gambling platforms would have to suspend the accounts and betting operations of people on the list. The proposal also covers restrictions on buying tickets to football matches and other paid mass events.

The restrictions would apply while a person remains on the register and would end once the person regularises their situation, either by paying the debt in full or through a court-approved payment agreement.

Hassler was accompanied at the announcement by deputies Marisela Santibáñez, Constanza Schönhaut, Daniela Serrano, Carolina Tello, Marcos Barraza and Juan Santana, as well as by the NGO Acción Mujer y Madre, the organisation Familias Cuidadoras and the Coordinadora 8M de Valparaíso. During the presentation, Hassler said there were around 270,000 child-support debtors in Chile and said money spent on entertainment should prioritise the needs of their children.

The bill is intended to complement existing mechanisms for enforcing child-support payments. Its legislative progress is pending.