Chilean Senate extends deadline for online gambling regulation bill

The Chilean Senate has extended the deadline for submitting amendments to a bill regulating online gambling platforms until noon on October 26. The extension was requested by the Executive branch to allow for further technical discussions and consensus-building among various ministries, including Finance, Economy, Justice, and Health.

Legislative debate has highlighted diverging approaches to the regulation. Senate President Paulina Núñez has proposed a more restrictive framework that includes severe penalties, such as up to 15 years in prison for certain aggravated cases and fines of up to 10,000 UTM. Her proposal also seeks mechanisms for the permanent judicial blocking of illegal websites and applications, and targets criminal organizations using false identities to operate.

Other senators, including Gastón Saavedra and Diego Ibáñez, have suggested that traditional operators like Polla, Lotería, and physical casinos should remain under their current special legislations. While the current bill aims to penalize unauthorized online operators and their advertising, it currently exempts bettors from sanctions. The debate continues to weigh the government's regulatory approach against more restrictive proposals aimed at preventing the expansion of private operator licenses.