Dominican Deputies Advance Gambling Regulation Bill After Approving Revised Text
2026-07-24
Source: Global Gaming Insider
The Dominican Chamber of Deputies has passed a 195-article gambling regulation bill, sending amended text to the Senate as part of wider efforts to modernise gaming laws and strengthen oversight. The legislation would unify fragmented rules on licensing, taxation, and player protections.
The Dominican Republic's Chamber of Deputies has given final approval to a significantly amended gambling regulation bill, passing it through two urgent readings and sending the revised legislation back to the Senate for review. The proposal, containing roughly 195 articles according to Chamber President Alfredo Pacheco, aims to replace the current fragmented legal framework with a unified law covering casinos, sports betting, lotteries, and other gaming activities.
The bill emerged from a special committee that scrutinised the text during an extraordinary session before deputies voted on modifications. Committee Chairman Rogelio Genao Lanza noted that existing regulations lack adequate supervisory mechanisms, and the new legislation seeks to establish comprehensive rules for licensing, oversight, tax collection, player protections, fraud prevention, and responsible gambling across the country.
Parliament has debated the measure for several months. Earlier in 2024, the Senate's Finance Committee merged separate proposals from senators Pedro Catrain and Félix Bautista, producing a single text that also incorporated recommendations from the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Directorate of Casinos and Games of Chance.
The legislative push coincides with broader government efforts to tighten controls on the gambling sector. Recent fiscal reforms have imposed higher taxes on casinos, lottery operators, sports betting outlets, and slot machine businesses, while authorities have moved to regularise lottery betting outlets. Together, these steps signal a drive to strengthen regulatory oversight and boost tax collection from the industry.
Because the lower house introduced amendments, the Senate must now decide whether to accept the revised text before the bill can complete its legislative journey. If enacted, the law would replace a patchwork of regulations with a single statute governing the authorisation, supervision, and operation of gambling enterprises throughout the Dominican Republic.
Separately, anti-corruption group Red de Ciudadanos Contra la Corrupción this week urged Congress to reject other legislative proposals that would expand horseracing agencies and increase the number of slot machine venues, arguing the country is already saturated with betting shops.