Chile’s parliament is weighing both legalization and criminalization of online casinos as the government backs a legal market

Chile is now looking at two opposing tracks at once: the government and the president support a legal online casino market, while deputies are pushing for a ban. For PSPs, acquirers, and operators, that is the sort of legislative split that matters because it affects whether there is a regulated route in the market at all.

1. According to the source, Chile’s parliament is simultaneously considering an initiative to legalize online casinos and another initiative that would criminalize them. That means the legal status of the vertical is still being fought over in the legislative process, rather than settling into a single regulatory path.
2. The government and the president are backing legalization. In practical terms, that puts the executive branch on one side of the argument, with the aim of creating a legal online casino market instead of leaving the segment in a gray zone.
3. Deputies are supporting a ban. For high-risk payment providers, that matters because a criminalization track can shut down merchant onboarding, settlement options, and banking appetite even if a legalization bill is still alive.