Chile Senators Back Betting Ban, Leave Licence Plan Unexamined
The amendments would replace the existing text of Bill 14,838-03. Both came from senators rather than the government, which submitted its own 114-page package on October 27.
The Government’s 114 Pages Went Unexamined
Finance undersecretary Sebastián Vallebona attended the session to discuss the government’s changes. They included five-year licences costing 1,000 UTM annually (CLP72.44 million, about $73,600), plus 19% VAT and a separate 3% tax. 15M covered those terms on November 3.
The committee moved to the prohibition amendments instead. Vallebona criticised the decision, saying months of work with parliamentary advisers had gone without consideration, Emol reported.
There was also an objection within the committee. Its secretariat warned that replacing regulation with prohibition departed from the bill’s original purpose. Senators nevertheless voted to admit the amendments, according to BioBioChile.
Two Drafts Carry Different Penalties
The proposals agree on banning unauthorised betting operations, though their wording and penalties differ:
- Gastón Saavedra and Diego Ibáñez – 541 days to five years in prison and fines of 200-1,000 UTM (CLP14.49 million-72.44 million, approximately $14,700-$73,600) for operating prohibited platforms for profit;
- Paulina Núñez and María José Gatica – permanent court-ordered website blocking, with prison terms of up to 15 years and fines reaching 10,000 UTM (CLP724.4 million, about $735,800) for aggravated offences.
The conversions use the November 2026 UTM value published by Chile’s tax service and the Central Bank’s November 12 exchange rate of CLP984.49 per US dollar.
November 16 Hearing Comes Next
The second proposal’s maximum fine is ten times the first. It also ties the highest penalties to circumstances such as deliberately targeting minors or continuing operations despite a final blocking order, CNN Chile reported.
The committee must now combine the two amendments. Chile’s Senate has scheduled another hearing for November 16, when lawmakers are expected to continue examining the proposed ban. No new betting ban has been enacted.
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