Legislation
Chile – Chile’s Senate considers raft of changes to Chile’s gaming laws
By Phil - 21 May 2018
The Senate’s advisory Commission for Decentralisation and Regional Development has unanimously approved a bill that seeks to prohibit the operation of slots or games of chance outside of premises legally allowed to offer gaming.
Alejandro Navarro, parliamentary forerunner of the project, said that a study by the Catholic University revealed that there were more than 33,000 machines operating illegally in 2016. According to Navarro the bill “seeks to gradually prohibit the operation of slot machines or gambling outside the premises that are permitted by the law of casinos No. 19.995, while supporting the owners of these stores with restructuring programs ” Laws had to be changed as a matter of urgency as “legislation, nowadays, is absolutely obsolete, it is limited only to what happens inside casinos, to the gaming room, and not outside,” he said. The battle against the growing number of illegal slots has been running for many years and there have been many attempts in the past from both the gaming board and local state and municipal governments to close illegal slot parlours down.
The rise of illegal slot machines in licensed arcades is down to local municipalities as local governments have allowed them to operate in their jurisdictions but have not drawn a clear line between machines that award prizes and those that have an element of skill involved (skill with prizes machines) and slot machines. Subsequently, a great many slot parlors house both with revenue increasingly deriving from the latter.
The new bill comes on the heels of a number of other significant modifications to Chile’s gaming law 19,995, which are now making progress in the Senate. New proposals also put forward this month seek to put into place stricter player protection measures in casinos with fines of up to USD$9,000 and closures of up to three months for non compliance. New rules would more strictly control the entry of minors into casinos and would oblige operators to warn players of the dangers of gambling addiction on site. Operators would also need to enforce self-exclusion via an updated register of self-excluded players. Proposals have also been put forward which would change rules when it comes to casino advertising in order to protect minors and problem gamblers and new laws would also prohibit the operation of day-care centres in casinos or associated hotels. Senators have until May 28th to put forward any suggestions regarding the new changes to Chile’s gaming laws.
