Chilean Senate President Paulina Núñez has introduced a substitute amendment to the bill regulating online gambling platforms, seeking to establish prison sentences of up to 15 years for those who promote illegal betting sites.
According to reports, the initiative proposes a substantial change in how the activity is addressed, aiming to “prevent the expansion of the illegal market, protect families and close digital spaces that could be exploited by organized crime.”
The proposal establishes sentences of up to 15 years in prison in certain aggravated cases, fines of up to 10,000 UTM, and criminal liability for the legal entities involved.
It also introduces the use of false identities or fictitious corporate structures to conceal business owners as an aggravating circumstance.
The amendment also provides for a judicial procedure allowing for the permanent blocking of websites, applications, and channels used for illegal betting. Dynamic mechanisms would be established to extend restrictions to new platforms created exclusively to circumvent the initial prohibitions.
The proposed legislation also includes restrictions on certain payment services and criminal penalties for those who knowingly finance or commercially promote these platforms despite being aware of their illegal origins.
“The State must act against the entire business structure, not just its digital facade,” Núñez said, emphasizing the need to cut off the flow of money that sustains these networks.
The amendment also addresses the protection of vulnerable groups by prohibiting minors from participating through identity verification mechanisms and establishing preventive measures against problem gambling, including voluntary betting limits and self-exclusion procedures.
In this context, the senator strongly criticized the legislative debate for focusing on the potential tax revenue that would be generated by legalizing new betting sites. “The State cannot become a tax partner in a problem it has a duty to prevent,” she stressed.