Uruguay casino chamber pushes for regulated online gambling market

Uruguay’s casino industry chamber has proposed a new legal framework for online gambling, arguing that the country needs to bring an already significant digital market under state supervision while strengthening controls against illegal operators.

The Uruguayan Chamber of Operators and Lessors of Casino and Entertainment Hall Services (CUOASEC) is calling for comprehensive regulation of online gambling and has submitted its own draft legislation to the Executive Branch. The proposal has also been presented to representatives of different political sectors, although it has not yet formally entered Uruguay’s Parliament.

CUOASEC executive secretary Luis Gama said the central argument behind the initiative is that online gambling is already a reality in Uruguay and that legislation has failed to keep pace with technological change. The chamber wants to move activity that currently takes place outside a comprehensive framework into a system based on licensing, supervision and traceability.

Under the proposal, online gambling would require prior state authorisation and participation would be restricted to licensed operators subject to regulatory oversight. CUOASEC’s model would tie online casino licences to businesses already authorised to operate physical casino or gaming venues in Uruguay, creating a deliberately limited market rather than an open licensing system.

The draft includes several mechanisms aimed at separating authorised platforms from illegal competitors. These include blocking unauthorised websites and related infrastructure, creating an exclusive “.bet.uy” domain for approved operators and establishing a national user registry. Gama has also pointed to the potential blocking of IP addresses, servers, hosting services and payment channels linked to illegal activity.

Player protection is another major component. The proposal addresses user identification, payment traceability, self-exclusion, responsible gambling, protection of minors, personal-data safeguards and cybersecurity. It would also impose anti-money-laundering obligations and sanctions on businesses or individuals operating or promoting gambling without authorisation.

Uruguay’s existing legislation remains considerably more restrictive. Article 244 of Law 19,535 establishes that online gambling falls under the country’s general principle of illegality, with limited exceptions for activities specifically authorised by the state. It expressly prohibits casino-style games such as poker, roulette and slots when offered remotely. The government can also order website and financial-flow blocking against unauthorised services.

Authorities continue to apply those powers. In April 2026, communications regulator URSEC issued another resolution concerning the blocking of clandestine betting websites, illustrating that enforcement against unauthorised digital gambling remains active even as the industry pushes for a broader legal framework.

CUOASEC argues that maintaining a highly restricted legal offer while consumers can access offshore platforms may ultimately strengthen the illegal market. Its position is that regulation should make authorised services attractive enough to compete while preserving strict state control, responsible-gambling requirements and effective enforcement.

The proposal does not yet change Uruguay’s gambling laws, and important issues such as licence requirements, taxation and the allocation of gaming revenue would still need to be defined. For now, the initiative marks a renewed industry effort to move Uruguay from prohibition-focused online casino policy toward a controlled and limited regulated market.