TLDR
- Chile’s land-based casino revenue dropped 4.5% in 2025 to $597.5 million while the illegal online gambling market ballooned to an estimated $3.1 billion.
- Casino visits fell 7.2% and tax revenue declined 4.7%, with the ACCJ blaming the normalization of unauthorized online betting platforms.
- A national study found 26% of Chilean youth placed online bets in the past year, with the average gambling start age at just 15.5 years old.
- Chile’s Supreme Court ordered internet providers to block illegal betting websites, and two major regulatory bills are moving through the legislature.
- The ACCJ is now working with health professionals and government officials to push for digital literacy programs and mental health protections for young people.
Chile’s Legal Casino Industry Faces Mounting Pressure
Chile’s regulated gambling sector is shrinking fast. The country’s trade body for casinos, the ACCJ, published its 2025 annual report on Monday and the numbers tell a troubling story for licensed operators.
Gross gaming revenue from Chile’s 25 legal casinos fell 4.5% year-on-year to CLP509.8 billion, or roughly $597.5 million. Visits to authorized casinos dropped 7.2% to 926,873.
Tax revenue from the sector also slipped, falling 4.7% in real terms to CLP214 million.
At the same time, the country’s illegal online gambling market surged. The ACCJ estimates it is now worth approximately $3.1 billion.
The association says unauthorized platforms operating outside Chile’s tax and regulatory systems are directly responsible for pulling customers away from licensed casinos.
Under current Chilean law, gambling is only legal through a handful of authorized channels. These include the Concepción Lottery, Polla Chilena, racetracks, and licensed casinos.
The Chilean Supreme Court stepped in with a ruling that ordered local internet service providers to block illegal betting domains. ACCJ President Cecilia Valdes called the ruling a necessary measure.
“We deeply appreciate the Supreme Court’s clear ruling on online gambling platforms, stating that they are illegal in Chile,” Valdes said.
Beyond online platforms, enforcement agencies have also uncovered a growing number of underground physical gambling dens. These were found in regions including Antofagasta, Valdivia, and areas surrounding Santiago.
The ACCJ linked these illegal venues to tax evasion and, in some cases, organized crime networks.
Youth Gambling Study Raises Alarm
One of the most striking elements of the report was a national study on youth gambling habits. The study, titled “Catching Screens: A Radiography of Online Gambling in Chilean Youth,” was the first of its kind in the country.
It found that 26% of young Chileans reported placing an online bet in the past 12 months. The average age at which they started gambling was 15.5 years old.
The study also found that 92% of respondents had been exposed to gambling ads through social media or livestreaming platforms. And 62% of young people surveyed played video games that feature chance-based mechanics like loot boxes.
Most of the bets placed by young people were small. About 79% wagered less than CLP10,000 per bet.
Still, the early exposure has pushed the ACCJ to broaden its focus. The group is now working with health professionals and ministry officials on digital literacy and mental health prevention programs.
On the legislative front, two major bills are advancing through Chile’s government. Boletín 14.838-03 is a bill to regulate online betting platforms. It passed a general vote in the Senate last August with 27 votes in favor and only 3 against. It is now in the committee stage for amendments.
A second proposal, Boletín 15.975-25, would create an economic intelligence unit designed to track financial crimes tied to illegal gambling.
The ACCJ has argued that any new regulations must go further than simply legalizing what already exists. The group wants strict rules around taxation, transaction traceability, and consumer protection so that formerly illegal operators do not gain an unfair edge over compliant businesses.
Chile’s situation mirrors a broader trend across Latin America. In Mexico, lawmakers recently advanced a bill to ban gambling ads during family viewing hours ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
