Chile’s state lottery warns online betting is becoming a major social risk

Chile’s state-run lottery operator has sharpened its criticism of online betting, with Polla Chilena de Beneficencia president Macarena Carvallo urging policymakers to look beyond tax revenue and weigh the broader social impact as the country continues to debate regulation of the sector.

In an interview published by El Mercurio and carried by GDA, Carvallo described online betting as “the new fentanyl of the 21st century,” framing the issue not only as a market or regulatory challenge but as a growing public-risk concern. She said Chile’s authorities should consider the social consequences of the activity, and not focus solely on its economic and fiscal potential when deciding how to handle the industry.

The comments come at a sensitive moment for Chile, where the bill to regulate online betting platforms remains in its second constitutional stage in Congress. The initiative, first introduced in 2022, was approved in general by the Senate in 2025 and continues to move through the legislative process, keeping the future structure of the market unresolved.

Carvallo’s remarks were also tied to the financial pressure facing the state operator. According to the interview, Polla Chilena’s gross revenue reached CLP 120.253 billion in 2025, down 18.34% from 2024. One of the most affected products was Xperto, the company’s sports-prediction business, whose legal contributions to Chile’s National Sports Institute fell from CLP 18 billion in 2024 to nearly CLP 14 billion in 2025.

By linking online betting to both social harm and declining public-interest revenues, Polla Chilena is clearly trying to influence the tone of the regulatory debate. The company’s message is that any future framework should not be built around legalization alone, but around control, consumer protection and the wider public consequences of allowing online gambling to expand. That final point is an inference based on Carvallo’s remarks and the company’s financial concerns.