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The Chilean casinos authorized by Law 19,995 recorded a cumulative figure of 194,214 million Chilean Pesos as their tax contribution by the end of 2025; this shows a real decrease of 4.7% compared to the year 2024, though this can be attributed to the reduction in both gross gaming revenue and visitors, despite an increase in average spend per visit.
The data provides a broad picture of the performance of the land-based casino business throughout the country and the role that the current tax structure plays in the financing of local and national government services.
How Tax Revenue Was Distributed
The “total tax collected” had three main components, all of which were targeted at different levels of government and public funding mechanisms.
The particular tax levied on gaming resulted in an amount of 84,363 million Chilean Pesos, where this amount can be divided into two components, with 50% of this amount being transferred to regional governments and another 50% being transferred to local governments.
The figure for Value Added Tax (VAT) stood at 81,401 million Chilean pesos. VAT tax is computed by subtracting the fiscal credit applied to operators from gross gaming revenue.
Additionally, entry taxes to gaming halls contributed 28,450 million Chilean Pesos, which are used to fund the general treasury of the country.
Gross Gaming Revenue and Visitor Flow
The gross gaming revenue earned by the 22 casinos that operate under Law 19.995 in 2025 was 509,826 million Chilean pesos. When expressed in real values, the gross gaming revenue decreases by 4.5% compared to last year.
The number of visitors was also reduced. A total of 926,873 visits were recorded during the year, recording a real decline of 7.2% compared to 2024.
Interestingly, while the number of people visiting the casinos dropped, the average number that did spend money increased. In terms of the average spend per visit to the casino, the average spend rose by an average of 3.3% to 86,019 Chilean pesos.
Municipal Casinos Show Positive Performance
Contrary to the market trend, a positive result was reported by the three casinos that operate under a municipal concession.
The establishments generated a gross gaming revenue of 39,483 million Chilean pesos, which reflects a slight real growth of 0.5% compared to 2024. It is possible that these small, locally controlled gaming establishments are responding differently to prevailing market forces compared to large casino gaming operations.
Economic Offer Payments to Municipalities
As for direct taxes, the General Treasury of the Republic collects 69,042 million Chilean pesos corresponding to “Economic Offer” payments. These are transferred to the municipality the following month after the collection, on the same schedule as the specific gaming tax.
This mechanism further underlines the position of casinos as an assured source of funding for local governments.
Regional Context and the Role of Physical Gaming in Public Funding
The significance of land-based gaming as a source of public funding can also be observed in other countries. In Colombia, for instance, financial contributions from casinos and bingo halls to the national health system were raised in 2025, thus recognizing the sector as a vital source of public resources.
Throughout the year, the land-based segment that contributed the most to the subsidized health system was the land-based establishments, which generated 39% of the total revenue generated by the gaming industry. The contrast between these regions underscores the enduring importance of physical casinos even as the performance of casinos has waxed and waned.
Source: iGaming Brasil
