Dominican lottery banks call for action on illegal foreign lotteries

Jesús Salvador Ventura, a leader of lottery banks in Duarte province, alleged that foreign lotteries are operating in the Dominican Republic without authorisation and called for stronger supervision of gambling. He also said betting machines are present in bars, cafeterias and other commercial establishments, and asked the authorities to strengthen controls to detect equipment running without the permits required by law.

Ventura said machines had been seized and urged shop owners to remove any operating without authorisation. He said the informal activity and the irregular opening of "agencias" create unfair competition for establishments that meet their legal and tax obligations, and he questioned the regularisation process for lottery banks, saying irregularities in the opening and operation of establishments had occurred over the years. According to his complaint, some businesses began operating under the name of agencies while traditional banks continued to face difficulties completing their formalisation. He called for controls that identify licensed operators and guarantee competitive conditions for establishments that meet their tax obligations.

Ventura also made allegations about suspected corruption and possible links between legislators and the betting business, without identifying specific officials or presenting documentation that would allow the accusations to be verified.

The complaint comes as the national regularisation plan for lottery banks, points of sale, agencies and other operators restarts under Decree 197-26, issued by the Dominican executive in March 2026. The plan seeks to complete the screening and formalisation of establishments left pending after deadlines set in 2022.

Ventura said he expects the new Dirección General de Juegos de Azar to help correct the irregularities he alleges and to strengthen supervision of the market. The regulator was created by Law 86-26 and is under a transitional leadership headed by Teófilo "Quico" Tabar Manzur, who took office on 5 October 2026.