Dominican Republic Sends Gambling Reform to President With New Regulator and 10-Year Licence Freeze

The Dominican Republic has completed congressional approval of a broad gambling reform that would create a dedicated regulator, introduce new controls for online betting and freeze most new gambling-establishment licences for 10 years.

The Dominican Republic's Congress has completed work on a new general gambling framework after the Senate approved the amended bill on September 16. The legislation has now been sent to the Executive Branch, which can promulgate it or return it with observations.

The 196-article bill would bring casinos, lottery and sports-betting shops, bingo, slot-machine operations and internet gambling under a more unified regulatory system. One of its main institutional changes is the creation of the Dirección General de Juegos de Azar (DGJA) as an autonomous and decentralised gambling regulator with administrative, financial and technical independence.

The proposal would also stop the issue of most new licences for gambling establishments for 10 years after publication of the official register of licensees. Casinos located in hotels and tourism areas would be exempt from that restriction. The measure is intended to give authorities time to supervise and reorganise a market that already includes more than 71,000 registered lottery and sports-betting shops.

Online gambling would receive a more explicit national framework. Operators would need a licence and a Dominican .do domain, while the DGJA would be able to order the blocking of unauthorised gambling websites and request the suspension of transactions directed to illegal operators. The bill also establishes a monthly 10% levy on internet gambling operations.

Player protection is another major part of the reform. The proposal creates a National Self-Exclusion Register, allowing people to voluntarily block themselves from gambling. Operators would have to check the register before allowing access, creating an account or paying winnings, while registered users could not be targeted with gambling advertising or bonuses.

The legislation also introduces stronger protection for minors and new location rules. Gambling establishments generally could not operate within 500 metres of schools, universities, hospitals, churches and several other protected institutions, although casinos are treated differently under some of the location provisions.

Enforcement measures include fines of up to 400 minimum salaries, temporary closures, licence revocation and other administrative sanctions. Certain illegal activities could also carry prison sentences of up to 10 years, while 10% of money collected through fines would be directed toward programmes for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.

The bill did not pass without disagreement. Some senators argued that the proposal required more study and broader consultation before approval, while supporters said a comprehensive framework was needed to replace a regulatory structure still heavily based on legislation dating from 1964.

The next decisive step now lies with the Executive Branch. Until the bill is promulgated, its new regulator, licensing restrictions and online gambling rules should be treated as approved by Congress but not yet in force.