The Municipality of Angol, in Malleco Province, La Araucanía Region, launched a closure process between August 25 and 27, 2026 against 14 establishments operating slot machines or gambling devices without a valid municipal commercial licence.
The enforcement action is being handled administratively by the Municipal Revenue and Licensing Office, headed by Miguel Ferrada, who confirmed that three venues have already been closed, four shut their doors when inspections began and could not be formally notified, while another seven establishments located on Avenida O’Higgins remain subject to the ongoing procedure.
The measure is based on Articles 23 and 24 of Decree Law No. 3,063 on Municipal Revenues, which require profit-making commercial activities to hold a municipal licence. Angol is headed by Mayor Enrique Neira Neira, while the municipal headquarters is located at Caupolicán 509.
The issue may extend beyond a commercial licensing violation. If the machines are technically classified as games of chance, a municipal licence would still not be enough to legalize them. In Chile, gambling operations are prohibited unless expressly authorized by law. The Superintendence of Casinos (SCJ), headed in August by Eduardo Cáceres Guzmán as Acting Superintendent, regulates licensed casinos under Law No. 19,995.
The Chilean Penal Code, under Articles 277 to 279, provides sanctions for those who operate illegal gambling houses and allows the seizure of money and equipment used in such activities. So far, Angol has not disclosed the number of machines seized, venue owners, business names, confiscated cash or any direct participation by the PDI, Carabineros or the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The crackdown comes as Chile’s legal casino market generated CLP135.517 billion, around US$150.7 million, in GGR during the second quarter of 2026, while casinos regulated under Law 19,995 contributed approximately CLP47.511 billion, around US$52.8 million, in taxes.
