A Chilean Senate committee has backed proposals that would prohibit online gambling, moving the debate away from the government’s earlier plan for a regulated licensing system.
The committee supported two texts expected to be combined before further consideration.What happens next
The merged proposal is expected to return to the committee before moving to the Senate Finance Committee and then the full Senate. The drafts include severe criminal penalties, with prison terms of up to 15 years reported for certain violations.
The committee vote does not itself create a nationwide ban. The proposal has drawn criticism from the iGaming trade association Agrupación de iGaming Responsable, which argues prohibition could push demand towards unlicensed operators and remove regulated consumer safeguards.