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Dominican President Luis Abinader has sent an extensive legislative proposal to the National Congress that aims to modernize, regulate, and manage the country’s gaming sector. The proposal has stringent provisions to limit money laundering and ensure legality in the growing gaming sector.
Establishment of the Directorate General of Gambling (DGJA)
One of the strongest aspects of the draft law is the creation of a new entity: the Directorate General of Gambling (DGJA). The DGJA would be the central authority responsible for licensing, monitoring, and regulating all gambling activities in the country.
The DGJA would oversee 15 individual categories of games and games of chance, including:
- Casinos
- Slot machine halls
- Sports betting shops
- Lottery agencies
- Horse racing outlets
- National lottery draws
- Electronic lotteries
- Lottery betting spots
- Slot machines (fixed spot)
- Virtual games and internet gambling
- Electronic and traditional bingos
- Charitable and non-charitable raffles
Regulation of Slot Machines and Operating Settings
The proposed law seeks to shut down illegal slot machine operations, restricting their legal use to casinos, one- to three-star-rated hotels, and licensed gambling houses. Under the new model, slot machines in unauthorized locations, such as convenience stores, recreational clubs, or entertainment centers, would be classified as illegal. Offenders would be subjected to penalties, with a focus on eliminating mass unregulated practice.
To impose tax compliance, slot machines will be taxed monthly at 5% of gross revenue. A transitional clause establishes a fixed monthly rate at DOP 14,000 (approximately USD 240) per machine until a digital system can be implemented to properly record revenues.
Financial Structure and Taxation Model
The law requires a complete fee system for the various gambling forms. Casino establishments with 1 to 15 gaming tables would be required to pay DOP 55,853 (around USD 950) per table per month. Those with more than 36 tables would be required to pay DOP 85,927 (USD 1,450) per table.
Online casino businesses would be subject to a 10% monthly gross sales tax. However, there’s a specific provision under which they have to pay DOP 5 million (around USD 85,000) every 30 days until a functioning regulatory tech platform comes into place. This is on pain of the freezing of their domain by the DGJA.
The other financial obligations are:
- DOP 794,414 for each sports betting shop
- Annual city tax of DOP 386,673 for sport betting shops
- Gross sales tax of 1% on sports betting revenue
- Electronic lotteries s taxed on a progressive basis, up to 24% of gross revenue
Minors Protection and Enhanced Cybersecurity
One of the central objectives of the proposal is the incorporation of technological practices for the protection of minors and online gambling website users. The bill proposes digital age-verification procedures and cybersecurity systems for guaranteeing responsible behavior and mitigating vulnerabilities.
Legislative Process In Progress
The submission of the proposal to a Senate commission for analysis and assessment marks the beginning of a legislative process with the potential to culminate in sweeping reforms of the entire Dominican gaming industry. President Abinader emphasized that the eventual goal is to bring order and transparency to the industry and align legal and digital systems with global standards.
If enacted, this bill would be a landmark shift in the policy of gambling in the Dominican Republic — uniting regulation, innovation, and social responsibility in one comprehensive body of laws.
Source: YogoNet
