Chile has intensified regulatory pressure on online gambling just as the digital market accelerates. The Supreme Court, in a ruling issued in April 2026, ordered telecommunications companies to block not only primary domains but also mirror sites and alternative URLs of unauthorized betting platforms, raising the enforcement standard following the precedent set in September 2025.
The case stems from a legal action filed by Lotería de Concepción, led by Mario Parada Araya, alongside Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, chaired by Andrea Palma Roco with Demián Arancibia Zeballos as general manager, against telecom operators including Claro, Entel, Movistar, WOM, VTR and GTD. The Court ruled that blocking cannot be considered fulfilled as long as access remains available through alternative routes, establishing a doctrine of effective enforcement over formal compliance.
Jorge Quiroz
The tightening comes alongside a growing market, cause according to Apuesta Legal Chile, betting platforms recorded 72.4 million visits in Q1 2026, with 8.6% year-on-year growth and 7.5% quarter-on-quarter expansion. JugaBet led with 19.5 million visits (≈27%), followed by Betano (13.1 million), Stake (11 million), Lotería (9.1 million) and Coolbet (6.4 million), concentrating more than 80% of total traffic.
Chile still lacks a specific law regulating online betting. The current framework relies on Law No. 19.995, overseen by the Superintendence of Casinos of Chile (SCJ), led by Vivien Villagrán, and on judicial interpretations that deem unauthorized operators illegal. On the policy side, the process is driven by the Ministry of Finance, headed in 2026 by Jorge Quiroz, the Ministry of Economy, and the Subsecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel), led by Romina Garrido, which is key to enforcing blocking measures.
Vivien Villagrán
The bill Boletín 14838-03, introduced on March 7, 2022, and approved by the Lower House on December 12, 2023, is still under Senate review. The proposal includes full regulation of online platforms, anti-money laundering controls under Law 19.913, and an estimated fiscal contribution of CLP 84 billion, with a potential tax burden close to 38%.
While 83% of the online market remains unregulated and land-based casinos declined to CLP 509.8 billion in 2025, down 4.5% year-on-year, digital demand continues to grow. Chile is not stopping online gambling, because it is trying to catch up with it; regulation is still one step behind the market.
