Debate on online gambling bill postponed in Uruguay

The Chamber of Deputies of the Uruguayan Parliament recently postponed further discussion of the bill on the legalization of online gambling until March 2024, when a new session of parliament opens. It is expected that before this date the Ministry of Finance of the Latin American state will issue its opinion on the draft law.

We would like to remind you that the draft law previously adopted by the Senate has been under consideration by the Committee of Deputies on Finance since August 2022.

According to the contents of the document, permission to launch online casinos will be given to land-based casino operators operating under concession agreements. At the same time, some deputies propose issuing licenses to operators already at the stage of investing funds in the project.

The authority to control online gaming and issue and revoke licenses will be vested in the Directorate General of Casinos (DGC). It will develop the requirements that the service provider must meet, including quality and information security certificates.

In addition, payment methods will be defined and a responsible gambling policy will be developed, rules and procedures for control and supervision, as well as the documentation necessary for these purposes. The DGC will also develop a system for distributing profits from the activities of online gambling operators.

It should be noted that there are currently state-owned casinos and two private casinos operating in Uruguay. Also available to local residents are lottery games, which have been operated by a division of La Banca for almost 100 years. It also offers the Supermatch lottery, which accepts online sports betting over the Internet.