New Chile betting association backs market regulation

Five of the largest online betting operators in Chile – Betano, Betsala, Estelarbet, Juegalo and Novibet – have formed a new industry association, iGaming Responsable, positioning itself as a constructive counterpart to the state as Congress continues working through Chile’s pending online gambling legislation. The group, in remarks to Diario Financiero’s Catalina Vicuña, said it aims to demonstrate that operators exist who are genuinely committed to rigorous standards, effective oversight and active collaboration with authorities to help build a sustainable, regulated market.

A public-affairs specialist at the helm

The association is led by Sandra Kemp, a lawyer with a background that sits squarely at the intersection of sport, public affairs and compliance. Kemp holds a law degree from Universidad Gabriela Mistral along with a diploma in competition law and an advanced corporate governance programme from Universidad Católica. Her career includes a stint at communications and public affairs firm Burson-Marsteller, a role at SB Pay, and – most notably – a position as the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional’s first female Executive Secretary, before she went on to co-found and now serve as managing partner at Lake Consulting, a Chilean public affairs and regulatory consultancy she has run since 2020. That combination of regulatory, sports-governance and lobbying experience maps closely onto what the new association says it needs: a credible interlocutor capable of engaging directly with legislators and regulators on technical terms.

In her first public statement as the group’s executive director, Kemp argued that online betting is already an established reality in Chile, and that leaving it unregulated or attempting to ban it outright doesn’t eliminate the activity — it simply pushes it toward operators with no standards, oversight or accountability. She framed the association’s core challenge as ensuring the industry operates under a clear regulatory framework that makes room for formal, responsible operators prioritising the protection of minors and vulnerable users, contributing to public revenue through taxes, generating employment, and supporting the development of sport in Chile.

iGaming Responsable joins two associations already active in the space: APAL, representing operators Betsson, Coolbet and Latamwin under lawyer Carlos Baeza, and AgruGaming, the supplier-side association covered by G3 last week. With operators, suppliers and now this standards-focused operator coalition all organised separately, Chile’s regulatory debate now has three distinct industry voices at the table — a level of organisation that was largely absent even a few months ago.

Kemp said the association’s members will be bound by its principles from day one, regardless of how long the legislative process takes, and pledged to work as a technical partner to Congress, the executive branch, regulators and civil society to help build a framework that ensures market transparency, keeps minors out of the system, protects consumers and provides long-term stability – with the group stressing that the current moment calls for moving quickly rather than waiting on the legislature’s timeline.