Dominican Republic DGJA begins operations with new gambling regulations

The newly established General Directorate of Gambling (DGJA) in the Dominican Republic officially commenced operations on October 13, 2026. Under the leadership of Director General Teófilo ‘Quico’ Tabar, the agency issued two primary resolutions to regulate the sector.

Resolution 01-2026 prohibits the opening of new lottery shops, agencies, or points of sale, and forbids the installation of lottery machines in locations prohibited by law. The DGJA has also established a system for receiving and addressing complaints regarding fraudulent practices, unauthorized establishments, and failure to pay prizes.

Resolution 02-2026 grants gambling operators a non-extendable 30-day period to voluntarily declare irregular points of sale or establishments operating multiple gambling modalities without proper licensing. The agency clarified that submitting a sworn declaration does not guarantee automatic legalization or the granting of a license; operators must still meet all legal and administrative requirements.

A technical commission involving the DGJA, the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII), and the National Federation of Lottery Shops (Fenabanca) will be formed to validate and purge industry data. The DGJA will also share regularized operator databases with the DGII to strengthen oversight.