The Chilean gaming industry has had a somewhat modest history, although the recently enacted Law no.19.995 has paved the way for the opening of 18 new casinos throughout the country. The last 3 casino licences were granted on August 11, 2008, and demand for slot machines is set to increase dramatically as the implementation of the new casinos will require the introduction of more than 6,500 new slot machines into the market.

26/08/2008

In spite of the political and economic challenges, Ecuador’s gambling industry has grown substantially in recent years. Foreign operators, such as Spanish operator CIRSA, are starting to enter the market. Ecuador has recently enacted new gambling regulation that provides new supervisory powers to the Tourism Ministry and establishes comprehensive technical standards for the exploitation of slot machines in the country.

20/08/2008

Spanish passion for sports, lottery games and slot machines means that Spain has emerged as a much coveted market for gaming operators. According to the new Gaming Report gaming operators in Spain collected in 2007 €30,988 million in bets. Presently, gaming officials are discussing a new law draft that will regulate online gaming from a national perspective.

05/08/2008

Portugal’s gaming industry is dominated by Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisboa, the charitable organization granted a monopoly for the sale of lottery and sports betting products, and licensed private casino operators. Currently, Santa Casa’s monopoly is being challenged in the ECJ, whose judgment is keenly anticipated, as the questions referred to the ECJ are pertinent in many European jurisdictions.

01/08/2008

Costa Rica has established itself as a significant player amongst online gambling jurisdictions. The clampdown on online gambling in the US and the restrictions imposed by the UK have reduced the attractiveness of this gaming hub. The announcement of the installation of foreign operated casinos in Costa Rica has led the Government to overhaul their gaming regulation and introduce stricter rules for land based casino operations.

15/07/2008

Boasting the second largest Spanish-speaking gaming market in the world, Argentina is regarded as a key market for international gambling operators seeking to break into South America. With a new government now installed, a continuity in policy seems likely, and one which the gambling industry hopes will slate this year as the one for a number of legislative developments. Buenos Aires may be issuing online gaming licences in the near future. 

07/07/2008

Gambling is part of Colombian culture and the last decade has seen considerable growth in Colombia’s gaming market. Colombia has just enacted new legislation that provides ETESA (Colombia's gambling regulator) with additional powers to crack down illegal operators in the country.

27/06/2008

Uruguay has a liberal regulatory environment regarding casino gaming, yet its industry is closely controlled by the government. The Montevideo municipality has recently opened a public tender for a 30yr concession to operate casino gambling at the city’s famous Hotel Carrasco, which if successful, raises the possibility of other gaming opportunities being offered solely to private entrepreneurs.

30/05/2008

With gross commercial casino revenues of US$948m in 2007 and a population of just 3.2m, Panama is the second largest gambling jurisdiction in Latin America after Argentina. Currently, there are over 50 licensed gambling facilities in Panama, including 15 land-based casinos. While some observers suggest the market is close to saturation, investment continues to grow.

23/05/2008

Catalonia makes the largest contribution to Spain's GDP and has regulated the gambling market since 1984. All of the region's casino licences have been granted and a recent cap on the number of slot machine parlours has also been introduced to combat problem gambling. Online games form part of the gaming catalogue, yet this remains a type of gambling which awaits substantive regulation.

22/05/2008

The news that Madrid passed new regulatory laws in December 2006 is of considerable interest to parties looking to expand their operations in Spain, especially to those in the online sector. Madrid has already issued 3 licences authorizing the opening of betting shops within the Community, where players will be allowed to place bets on any kind of event, including sports. According to the latest Ministry of Interior gaming report, in 2007 Madrid had the highest gaming turnover in all Spain. 

15/05/2008

Chile is on the verge of awarding its three remaining casino licences in a public tender process that should be concluding in August 2008. GamblingCompliance interviewed Francisco Leiva, head of the Chilean Casino Gaming Superintendence, about the prospect of the highly anticipated bid process and the potential of the booming market.

14/05/2008

The victory of former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo in Paraguay's presidential election in April ended more than six decades of rule by the Colorado Party. But whilst the upheaval in government seems set to lead to greater transparency in Paraguay’s gaming market, the new President’s religious and political background could also signal an impending clampdown on gambling in general.

09/05/2008

Last week, Mario Das Neves, Governor of the Argentine Province of Chubut, announced a 120 percent increase on fees levied over gaming businesses operating within Chubut. The Governor’s announcement has led several political leaders in Argentina to request a general tax hike for the gaming industry across the country – sparking concern amongst operators in Argentina’s booming gambling market.

06/05/2008

Brazil is considered the next gambling giant of Latin America. Casinos are banned in Brazil and the lack of regulation and politics has stalled the growth of the bingo and slot machines market. Recent moves suggest that President Lula is trying to settle the bingo problem, with a review of current proposals underway. However, these moves do not include slots and their future remains unclear.

25/04/2008

As part of a series of interviews with gaming regulators from Latin America, GamblingCompliance spoke exclusively with Mery Luz Londoño, president of ETESA, the chief regulator of gambling and gaming in Colombia, about new gaming legislation to be enacted which is expected to enhance Colombia’s potential as a gaming hub.

03/04/2008

Casino Club, owned by Argentine gaming magnate Cristobal Lopez and joint venture partner Barcelona-based Cirsa, faces a US$40m fine for delays in the construction of Las Vegas-style casino in Rosario City. Unsurprisingly, Casino Club has already asked for an extension of their construction deadline because such a fine could threaten the feasibility of the project, as well as politically sensitive projects elsewhere in the South American country.

19/03/2008

Nicaraguan authorities have proposed a brief amnesty period for illegal slot machine operators to obtain official authorization for their gaming activities, but at the same time they have threatened those venues that fail to comply with all legal requirements with closure after a March 31 deadline.

17/03/2008

GamblingCompliance spoke exclusively with Manuel San Roman, director of Peru's Office of Casino Games and Slot Machines, about Peru’s recent successes in regulating a formerly illicit gambling industry, the Government’s plans to encourage the consolidation of the land-based sector and its intention to tackle online gaming from offshore sites by introducing restrictions on payments.

10/03/2008

Although casinos remain prohibited in Mexico, huge growth is predicted in the lottery and betting markets following the Supreme Court’s decision in January 2007 to uphold the constitutionality of a regulation that gave the Government the right to issue permits for remote betting centers and bingo parlours. An investigation into the process of granting gaming licences looks set to continue.

06/03/2008

Plans by Russia’s largest casino operator Storm International to open a new hotel and casino in Costa Rica in 2008 have been all but abandoned following a concerted political campaign in the central American country against the investment. The protests reveal deep ambivalence in Costa Rica over the issue of gambling regulation and the overwhelming power of vested interests already operating in the country.

05/03/2008

In the last 10 years the Philippines has become one of the most important gaming hubs in the Asia-Pacific region. In order to attract further investment to its shores, the Philippines is offering attractive tax breaks for land based and online gaming operators.

29/02/2008

GamblingCompliance reviews the taxation regime affecting gambling businesses established in Alderney, which fall under Guernsey's jurisdiction for tax purposes. A recent change to the tax regime is the abolition of almost all forms of exempt bodies and the introduction of a standard Corporate Income Tax rate of 0 percent for resident entities.

28/02/2008

Following a series of legal defeats before the Courts, the Mexican Secretariat of Government (Segob) has decided to drop the constitutional challenge it began against the Federal Superior Audit Office to block their plan to review all gaming licences issued since 2005. As a result, the investigation process over the licensing procedure looks set to continue.

25/02/2008

In 2007 Peru took steps to legislate against and regulate its illegal gambling industry. As a result it has received 700 new licence applications from gaming operators. In 2008, it is expected that draft legislation will be passed introducing comprehensive machine standards and a new monitoring system for all licensed gaming venues.

22/02/2008

Following the publication of the UK’s “white list” in the summer, many remote gambling operators have been considering moving their businesses to Malta, Gibraltar, Alderney or the Isle of Man in order to be able to advertise their services in the UK. Whilst all four are generally considered low tax jurisdictions, their tax regimes differ considerably. Gamblingcompliance.com assesses and compares the regimes as they apply to remote gambling companies in search of a new jurisdictional home.

29/11/2007

Under pressure from international tax watchdogs and the EU, Guernsey will completely overhaul it tax regime in 2008 and treat non-resident companies the same as resident entities by reducing corporate income tax to 0 percent across the board. Whilst online gambling companies will be largely unaffected by the change, the new regime will incur an annual revenue loss of nearly £50m for the Government.

16/11/2007

A number of leading gaming machine manufacturers consider Mexico to be one of the hottest markets in the world, although close analysis of the applicable legislation shows that Mexico has not clearly regulated what type of gaming devices can be imported into and exploited in the country. This lack of clarity has allowed operators to take advantage of a number of loopholes and facilitated Mexico’s current machine gaming boom.

13/11/2007

Following intensive lobbying by the American Gaming Association, the IRS has decided to alter its position obliging poker tournament organizers to withhold 25 percent of poker winnings. Organizers will now be obliged to report only winnings that exceed US$5,000.

24/10/2007

Gamblingcompliance.com reviews the taxation regime applicable to gambling operators in Romania.

12/10/2007