TLDR
- Chile’s Senate President Paulina Núñez has proposed prison terms of up to 15 years for those who promote illegal betting sites.
- The amendment sets fines of up to 10,000 UTM and makes companies, not just individuals, criminally liable.
- Using false identities or fake corporate structures to hide owners would count as an aggravating circumstance.
- Courts could permanently block illegal betting sites and apps, including new platforms built to get around bans.
- The proposal bans minors through identity checks and adds voluntary betting limits and self-exclusion tools.
Chile’s Senate President Paulina Núñez has proposed prison sentences of up to 15 years for people who promote illegal online betting sites.
The proposal is a substitute amendment to a bill that would regulate online gambling platforms in Chile. The bill is currently being debated in the senate.
According to Yogonet, the amendment aims to “prevent the expansion of the illegal market, protect families and close digital spaces that could be exploited by organized crime.”
What the Amendment Proposes
The 15-year prison term would apply in certain aggravated cases. The amendment also sets fines of up to 10,000 UTM, a Chilean unit of account used for taxes and fines.
The proposal would make legal entities criminally liable, not just individuals. This means the companies behind illegal betting platforms could also face charges.
Using false identities or fake corporate structures to hide business owners would count as an aggravating circumstance under the proposal.
The amendment also creates a court procedure to permanently block websites, apps and channels used for illegal betting.
It would set up dynamic mechanisms as well. These would extend the blocks to new platforms created only to get around earlier bans.
Payments, Minors and Problem Gambling
The bill includes restrictions on certain payment services. It also sets criminal penalties for people who knowingly finance or commercially promote illegal platforms.
“The State must act against the entire business structure, not just its digital facade,” Núñez said. She stressed the need to cut off the flow of money that keeps these networks running.
The amendment also covers protections for vulnerable groups. Minors would be banned from taking part, with identity verification used to enforce the rule.
It also lists measures to prevent problem gambling. These include voluntary betting limits and self-exclusion procedures for players.
Núñez criticized the senate debate for focusing on the tax revenue that could come from legalizing new betting sites.
“The State cannot become a tax partner in a problem it has a duty to prevent,” she said.
The amendment was reported on October 21, 2026. It now forms part of the wider debate over Chile’s online gambling regulation bill.
The next step is the amendment’s progress through the Chilean senate, where the online gambling bill remains under debate.
