for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
According to the news released by the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the government of the Dominican Republic has imposed new regulations that stipulate compulsory licenses for cruise ships that provide casino activities in the country. Thus, Resolution 164-2026 was recently passed to regulate this matter and make cruise ship casinos compliant with the local gaming legislation.
Specifics of the Licensing Requirement
Firstly, if any cruise ship is docking at the ports of the country, it needs to get a license in order to offer casino games on board. The cost of this license depends on the total capacity of the ship and can reach up to 1.5 million Dominican pesos, according to the resolution.
According to the official document, “in case the cruise ship has to operate a gambling room or casino in Dominican waters of the Dominican Republic” and the ship’s capacity amounts to 2,000 people or more, then it has to acquire this license.
Tiered Licensing Fees Based on Capacity
Based on this document, the amount paid for this kind of license depends on the capacity of the cruise ship. More precisely, if the number of passengers exceeds two thousand people, then cruise ships have to pay 1.0 million Dominican pesos as the cost of providing such activity.
However, when the capacity is three thousand or more, then the cost of such a license reaches 1.5 million Dominican pesos. According to the text of Resolution 164-2026, “between 2,000 and 3,499 passengers, one million pesos will be paid, and when the number is equal to or greater than 3,500 passengers, 1.5 million pesos will be paid.”
Additional Regulations Imposed
Besides the cost of a license and its obligatory character, there are other provisions that should be met by cruise ship operators, as per Resolution 164-2026. First of all, cruise ships will need to adhere to numerous regulatory and financial obligations in order to prevent illegal activities.
In particular, cruise ship operators are required to apply “necessary controls and procedures to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism.” Hence, the introduction of these clauses helps operators remain consistent with their duties and comply with all relevant provisions of the regulation.
Casino Rooms Defined
Another important aspect of the new regulation concerns casino rooms and their nature. Specifically, according to the document, casino rooms refer to spaces aboard the ship that offer gambling services to tourists on first-class cruise ships docking at ports of the Dominican Republic.
Thus, the definition makes it possible to identify the main purpose of casino rooms and understand that they are used to entertain tourists. Moreover, they do not have anything to do with regular gambling, which is an important nuance in this case.
Growing Focus on Strengthening Tourism Industry
It seems that the introduction of this regulation reflects the growing focus on developing tourism in the country. Indeed, there is an understanding that the growth of the industry implies increasing the number of available opportunities for tourism-related activities, including cruise tourism.
Thus, by imposing licenses on cruise ship casinos, the government is creating opportunities for entertainment that would attract tourists and help boost the development of the tourism industry. Furthermore, such an approach helps to bring this type of activity within the realm of law and ensure economic gains from such actions.
All things considered, the introduction of such licenses can be seen as another step towards regulated markets and structured development in this industry.
Source: SBC Noticias
