Chile: Novelties on the regulation of online betting

The initiative aims to address a legal void, considering that it is facing a relatively new industry that has expanded strongly in recent years.

During the session, the national director of the National Consumer Service (Sernac), Andrés Herrera, spoke. The representative revealed the need to advance in this project, which means the promotion of responsible gaming practices. He explained that, in the last 5 years, close to 1,300 claims have been received in the casinos and games of chance category. A third of them respond to online gambling.

He maintained that Sernac values that consumers have all the necessary tools and information. Likewise, he stressed that it seeks to discourage the development of addictive behaviors in minors.

However, there are aspects of the proposal that require refinement. In his opinion, the consumption relationship that exists should be highlighted in the text. Bookmakers, in their capacity as operators, should be considered more precisely as providers of a service. Similarly, he demanded a clearer definition of what is meant by “online betting service”.

The instance set the deadline, next Monday, June 12, for the presentation of indications to this regulatory body.

The norm regulates this new medium, discovering a competitive market in which various actors, both local and foreign, participate, which can generate an attractive offer of various types of games of chance for users.

It seeks to safeguard public faith, since the authority, with the appropriate tools, is required to give certainty, through the legal system, to all users that there is a reasonable probability, previously established by it, of obtaining a prize and collecting it. ; In case of user doubts, it can be verified if, in fact, in a particular game, the operator complied with current regulations.

The proposal also includes protecting the health and safety of players from negative externalities, including the likelihood that some users will develop gambling-related diseases, such as pathological gambling. Likewise, it wants to protect the cybersecurity of users, who, in order to participate in online betting, provide credit or debit card information, as well as sensitive personal information.

Increase tax collection. It is projected that this industry, whose players are currently not paying taxes in Chile, can generate income for the State of more than 50 million dollars a year, and make the origins and destination of the resources obtained through these platforms transparent.