The Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, Chile’s state-owned gambling company, has filed a criminal complaint against online betting operators, accusing them of the alleged crimes of unauthorized operation of casinos or illegal lotteries, money laundering and criminal association.
The complaint was filed before the Fourth Santiago Guarantee Court and was admitted for processing on August 21. The information will be investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine potential criminal liability of the individuals and legal entities involved.
According to Chilean media reports, the platforms named include Estelar Bet, Coolbet, Betsson, Betano, Jugabet, 1xBet, Micasino, Rojabet, Novibet, LatamWin and Juega en Línea.
According to Polla Chilena’s complaint, the online platforms would not simply be foreign websites accessible from Chile, but would have developed operations specifically targeting the Chilean market.
The company said the sites allow users residing in Chile to register, make deposits and withdrawals through locally available payment methods, and access promotions aimed at the domestic market. This is accompanied by advertising campaigns and sports sponsorship agreements.
The flow of money
According to the filing, Polla claims that the platforms use payment mechanisms to receive money from Chile, convert it into funds available for betting, pay winnings and subsequently transfer the money to related companies.
Polla has therefore requested an investigation into the origin, circulation and destination of the funds, including banking and financial records, the accounts used and their ultimate beneficiaries. It also requested information from payment service providers regarding contracts and transaction records.
For the state-owned company, this information could determine whether there were schemes intended to conceal or disguise the origin of funds derived from the alleged crimes under investigation, which could potentially constitute money laundering.
The complaint also requests an investigation into potential criminal association if it is established that a permanent organization existed, with a structure, hierarchy and division of responsibilities aimed at committing the alleged offenses.
Polla also questioned whether the operators continued to operate despite various court rulings concerning unauthorized online betting, including a September 2025 Supreme Court ruling. According to Polla, despite these developments, the operators continued their advertising and sponsorship agreements.
Against this backdrop, the company requested that Chile’s Investigative Police (PDI) investigate the allegations and question the individuals identified in the complaint to determine their roles and their knowledge of the potential illegality of the operations.
It also requested information from Transbank regarding contracts with companies linked to Betsson, Coolbet, Betano and LatamWin, as well as a review of corporate records, contracts with technology providers and payment processors.
Finally, Polla asked Chile’s Financial Market Commission, Financial Analysis Unit, Internal Revenue Service and Undersecretariat of Telecommunications to provide information about the companies and their operations.