Senator questions government focus on illegal land based gambling in Chile

Chilean senator Karim Bianchi has questioned the government’s approach to illegal gambling, arguing that enforcement against unauthorised physical gaming venues should be accompanied by greater scrutiny of online betting platforms.

Bianchi, president of the Senate’s Security Commission, raised the issue in connection with the government’s Organised Crime and Terrorism Agenda (ACOT) which includes measures targeting illegal gambling establishments.

The senator questioned why the authorities were pursuing illegal slot machine venues while online betting platforms continued to operate in what he described as a less transparent environment.

“A serious legislative agenda on security cannot overlook the multimillion-dollar online casino business simply to go after the weakest link, such as neighbourhood casinos. It is hypocritical to pursue the periphery of the problem while large digital platforms operate with complete impunity in Chile,” Bianchi said.

In material published through his office, Bianchi called on the government to clarify whether it has any commitments or agreements with online gambling platforms. He also argued that enforcement should not focus solely on what he characterised as the “weakest link” in the gambling market.

The issue comes as Chile continues to debate legislation that would establish a regulatory framework for online betting.

Under the current legal framework, online gambling platforms do not have a dedicated licensing regime. The government-backed bill, however, would establish a regulated market overseen by the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego, which would be renamed the Superintendencia de Casinos, Apuestas y Juegos de Azar.

The legislation would also introduce measures to combat illegal betting, including restrictions on advertising by unauthorised platforms, controls on payment methods and mechanisms to block websites and IP addresses. The Senate’s own legislative record describes these measures as part of a dedicated section of the bill dealing with illegal gambling.

The main bill, Boletín 14.838-03, remains in the Senate and is at the second constitutional stage.

The Senate’s Economic Commission began studying amendments to the bill in June.

For now, the bill remains under consideration in the Senate, with the Economic Commission continuing its work on amendments before the legislation can progress through the next stages of parliamentary debate.