Chile calls for an integrated response to illegal online gambling as regulation stalls

Cecilia Valdés, executive president of the Asociación Chilena de Casinos y Juegos (ACCJ), used a Buenos Aires industry forum to argue that Chile cannot deal with illegal online gambling through isolated measures. For PSPs, the message is straightforward: the debate is no longer just about licensing, but also about blocking, enforcement, user protection, and financial traceability.

1. The ACCJ says the growth of illegal online gambling in Chile requires a coordinated state response covering regulation, supervision, enforcement against illegal operators, protection of users and minors, traceability of funds, and risk prevention. In the association’s view, these are all parts of the same problem, not separate policy boxes to tick one by one.
2. Valdés took part in the Primera Jornada Internacional sobre Plataformas de Apuestas Online in Buenos Aires, organized by Universidad Austral and SICPA. The event brought together specialists, authorities, and regulators from different countries to examine the rise of illegal online betting from regulatory, tax, criminal, and social angles.
3. She joined the panel “Rol y visión de las loterías y juegos de azar locales e internacionales,” where she presented the Chilean market situation and the main measures adopted so far. The topics included decisions taken by the Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII), site-blocking mechanisms, and the pending bill intended to create a regulatory framework for online activity in Chile.
4. According to the ACCJ, key questions remain unresolved: under what conditions online gambling will be allowed to operate, and what tools will be available to ensure effective supervision. That matters for payment providers because the association is explicitly tying regulation to control of financial flows and action against unauthorized platforms.
5. The ACCJ reiterated its call for clear, demanding, and effective regulation in Chile, backed by public policy that organizes institutional responsibilities and addresses the economic, social, regulatory, and security risks linked to online gambling. The text in the source cuts off mid-sentence after noting that, due to the character of the issue, a coordinated response is required.