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Sovereign state
Latin America
ISO CL

Chile: gambling regulation and licensing

Republic of Chile

  • Online sports bettingMonopoly
  • Online casinoProhibited
  • Online pokerProhibited
  • Lottery and iLotteryMonopoly
  • Land-based (reference)Regulated
Regulator
Superintendency of Gaming Casinos
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
No
Last verified
21 Oct 2026

Summary

Chile has no online gambling licence. Games of chance are illegal unless a special law authorises them, and the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego (SCJ) lists four lawful channels: Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, Lotería de Concepción, horse racing and casinos. The SCJ regulates land-based casinos under Law 19.995 of 2005 and says it has no power over online platforms, so complaints go to the public prosecutor. The Supreme Court has twice held that unauthorised online betting is illegal: in 2023, when it recognised Polla's exclusive right to sports betting, and on 30 September 2025, when it ordered internet providers to block betting sites. Since September 2026 Subtel has sent providers 79 SCJ-validated addresses to block by DNS. The rest of the state is not aligned. The tax authority opened VAT registration for offshore betting platforms in June 2026 while stressing it makes no finding on legality, and from August payment operators withhold 19% VAT on platforms that did not register. The financial regulator consulted in August on barring card operators from serving activity that would be illegal in Chile. The land-based sector is shrinking: its 25 casinos earned CLP 549,000 million in gross gaming revenue in 2025, 4.5% less in real terms than in 2024, and pay a 20% specific tax on gross income. The licensing bill, Boletín 14838-03, passed its general Senate vote in August 2025 and is being reworked with the Ministry of Finance. It would license online platforms, tax gross income at 20% and turn the SCJ into a Superintendencia de Casinos, Apuestas y Juegos de Azar.

Common pitfalls

Reading the SII VAT registration as a licence: the SII says it does not rule on legality, and registered brands have since appeared on Subtel blocking lists. Assuming the SCJ can license or fine online operators: its powers cover only physical casinos until a new law passes. Treating the bill's 20% tax as settled: the text is still being renegotiated.

Key facts

Regulator
Superintendency of Gaming Casinos (SCJ)
Regulator type
Dedicated regulator
Headline tax
See Taxation
Licence required
No
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
No online gambling tax exists because no lawful online market exists. Land-based casinos pay a 20% specific tax on gross income from authorised games, after deducting the VAT charged on the games and mandatory monthly provisional income-tax payments, declared and paid monthly (Ley 19.995 art. 59); the SCJ describes this base as gross betting income less prizes. Proceeds go 50% to the host municipality and 50% to the regional government (art. 60). An entry tax of 0.07 UTM per admission to the gaming rooms goes to general revenue (art. 58). In 2025 the 22 casinos under the law paid CLP 84,000 million in specific tax, CLP 81,000 million in VAT and CLP 28,000 million in entry tax.
Capital
Santiago
Currency
CLP
Official languages
Spanish

How to get a gambling licence in Chile

Online sports betting in Chile is a state monopoly: only a single state-owned or designated operator is permitted.

Our record shows no gambling licence requirement in Chile.

The regulator is Superintendency of Gaming Casinos (SCJ).

We record 1 licence type for Chile: the Casino operating permit (permiso de operación), land-based only.

Applications
Closed at present
Fee basis
Casino operating permit (permiso de operación), land-based only: Competitive process: applicants must score at least 60% on the technical evaluation, then the highest economic offer, an annual sum in UF paid to the host municipality, wins. Minimum capital of 10,000 UTM.
Licence term
Casino operating permit (permiso de operación), land-based only: 15 years

Built from the record on this page, last verified 21 Oct 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Licensing

Licence required
No
Application window
Closed
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Barriers to entry
There is no online licence to apply for, so any Chilean-facing online operator acts without authorisation, a criminal matter for the Ministerio Público. Land-based permits are capped at 24 casinos under Law 19.995 and awarded in competitive rounds; 22 operated in 2025. Interest is weak: in August 2026 only Coquimbo and Pucón drew a bid, none came for Iquique or Viña del Mar, and the Puerto Varas process was declared void.

Licence types

  • Casino operating permit (permiso de operación), land-based only

    Scope
    One physical casino and its integral project; no online permit exists
    Term
    15 years
    Fee basis
    Competitive process: applicants must score at least 60% on the technical evaluation, then the highest economic offer, an annual sum in UF paid to the host municipality, wins. Minimum capital of 10,000 UTM.

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
Not yet verified
Withholding mechanism
From 1 August 2026 payment operators must withhold 19% VAT on each transaction with offshore betting platforms that did not register with the SII and remit it monthly (SII Resolution 94 of 2026).
VAT treatment
Offshore online betting, gaming and casino services supplied to people in Chile are treated as digital entertainment services subject to VAT on the total consideration received (Ley sobre Impuesto a las Ventas y Servicios art. 8 n) No. 2). SII Resolution 69 of 2 June 2026 lets such platforms register in the simplified regime and pay VAT owed for the previous 36 periods; 25 registered by 15 July 2026 and the SII told the Senate in September that 39 had registered. The SII states that registration says nothing about the legality of the activity; members of the Senate Economy Committee objected that it legitimises an unlawful business.
Tax base
No online gambling tax exists because no lawful online market exists. Land-based casinos pay a 20% specific tax on gross income from authorised games, after deducting the VAT charged on the games and mandatory monthly provisional income-tax payments, declared and paid monthly (Ley 19.995 art. 59); the SCJ describes this base as gross betting income less prizes. Proceeds go 50% to the host municipality and 50% to the regional government (art. 60). An entry tax of 0.07 UTM per admission to the gaming rooms goes to general revenue (art. 58). In 2025 the 22 casinos under the law paid CLP 84,000 million in specific tax, CLP 81,000 million in VAT and CLP 28,000 million in entry tax.

Scheduled changes

  • 20% of gross income, plus 2% of gross income for sport and a 1% responsible gambling contribution from Only if the bill is enacted
    Proposed

    Specific tax on the gross income of licensed online betting platforms under Boletín 14838-03, as sent by the Chamber

  • 1,000 UTM a year from Only if the bill is enacted
    Proposed

    Annual general licence charge for online betting platforms under Boletín 14838-03

Earmarked levies

  • Specific gaming tax on land-based casinos: 20% of gross gaming income (Host municipality (50%) and regional government (50%))
  • Casino entry tax: 0.07 UTM per admission to the gaming rooms (General revenue of the nation)

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
KYC timing
At entry to the gaming room
AML regime
Casino operators are supervised for anti-money laundering compliance under a joint UAF-SCJ circular; in 2025, 56% of the SCJ's AML inspections were carried out jointly with the UAF. Offshore online platforms fall outside this regime.
AML supervisor
Unidad de Análisis Financiero (UAF), jointly with the SCJ for casinos
Central monitoring system
The SCJ sets technical standards for casinos' online monitoring and control systems (sistemas de monitoreo y control en línea), which must be homologated before use.
KYC requirements
Land-based only: casinos must keep minors out of gaming rooms and may refuse entry to anyone who cannot prove identity with official identification when asked (Ley 19.995 art. 9). The Civil Code sets majority at 18 (art. 26).
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Game content restrictions
Only games in the official catalogue may be offered, on equipment registered in the SCJ homologation register (Ley 19.995 arts. 4 and 6).

Advertising

Advertising permitted
No
Affiliate rules
Affiliates are not licensed. Promoting an operator that cannot hold a Chilean licence has no lawful basis, and Polla's August 2026 criminal complaint names sponsorship and advertising contracts as part of the alleged scheme.
Sponsorship rules
No statute addresses sponsorship by offshore betting brands. In June 2026 the Senate Economy Committee asked the sports institute (IND) which sports organisations are sponsored by betting houses, and in September 2026 committee members proposed limiting advertising to hours unsuitable for minors.
Penalties for breach
No advertising regulator covers online gambling. Enforcement runs through the courts, ISP blocking and criminal complaints to the Ministerio Público.

Restrictions

  • No online gambling operator can hold a Chilean licence, so no online operator has a lawful basis to advertise.
  • The Supreme Court ordered internet providers not to transmit or promote games of chance without legal and administrative authorisation (Rol 18.080-2025).
  • Land-based casinos under Law 19.995 and the state lotteries are the lawful products.
  • Boletín 14838-03 would confine advertising to authorised platforms, bar advertising aimed at minors and tie content to a National Responsible Betting Policy.

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Not yet verified
Payment blocking regime
No payment blocking rule is in force. A CMF draft, consulted on from 12 August to 9 September 2026, would stop payment card operators from providing complementary services to activities that are not lawful in Chile, or to foreign activities that would be illegal if carried out in Chile. Separately, the SII has used card, debit and prepaid transaction data since 2021 to identify betting platforms, and from 1 August 2026 payment operators withhold 19% VAT on transactions with non-registered platforms (SII Resolution 94 of 2026).

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Yes
DNS blocking
Yes
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Blocklist size
79 (as of 21 Sept 2026)
Administrative penalties
For licensed casinos: warnings and fines of 5 to 150 UTM for general breaches, up to 150 to 2,000 UTM for revocation-grade conduct, plus suspension and revocation of the permit (Ley 19.995 arts. 46 to 50). In 2025 the SCJ opened 47 sanction proceedings, 19 against casino operators and 28 against public officials who broke the ban on betting, and imposed 1,792 UTM in fines.
Criminal penalties
Running an unauthorised house of games of chance: minor imprisonment in any degree and a fine of 11 to 20 UTM (Código Penal art. 277); unauthorised lotteries: a fine of 11 to 20 UTM (art. 276); stakes and equipment confiscated (art. 279).
Operator liability
Operating games of chance without authorisation is a crime; the SCJ has no power over online platforms and refers complaints to the Ministerio Público (241 platforms reported in 2025). Under the Supreme Court and Santiago Court of Appeals procedure, Lotería de Concepción or other petitioners identify domains, the SCJ validates them and Subtel orders Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM and VTR to block them by DNS within 48 hours.
Player liability
The Penal Code punishes those who go to play at unauthorised gaming houses with minor imprisonment in its minimum degree or a fine of 11 to 20 UTM (art. 278), and the Supreme Court said in 2023 that the law penalises those who take part in online sports betting as well as those who enable it. No prosecution of an online player was verified.

Notable actions

  • 37 domains, subdomains and mirror sites linked to Betano, Betsson, Rojabet, Estelarbet, Betcris, KTO, 1xbet, Betway, Betfair, bet365 and others21 Sept 2026

    Subtel ordered six ISPs to block them by DNS within 48 hours after SCJ validation

  • 42 URLs including Betano, Coolbet, 1xbet, Betsson, Stake, bet365, Jugabet and Novibet1 Sept 2026

    First Subtel DNS blocking order under the court procedure, 48 hours to comply

  • Operators of Coolbet, Betsson, Betano, LatamWin, Jugabet, Estelar Bet, Juega en Línea and others20 Aug 2026

    Criminal complaint by Polla Chilena de Beneficencia for unauthorised gambling, money laundering and criminal association, admitted by the 4th Guarantee Court of Santiago (press report)

  • bet365, Stars, 1win, Electraworks, TheLotter, PokerStars, GGPoker, Betcris, LeoVegas and Roobet15 Jul 2026

    Listed by the SII for change-of-subject VAT withholding by payment operators after failing to register

  • Claro, Entel, GTD, Telefónica, WOM and VTR30 Sept 2025

    Supreme Court ordered the ISPs to block unauthorised betting sites (Rol 18.080-2025)

Market data

Figures on this record are drawn from official regulator data.

Online GGR
Not yet verified
Reporting year
2025

GGR by vertical

  • Land-based (reference): CLP 549,000,000,000 as of 31 Dec 2025

Timeline

  1. 7 Jan 2005

    Law 19.995 on gaming casinos is published, creating the SCJ

  2. 13 Sept 2023

    Supreme Court orders an ISP to block international online sports betting sites on Polla's petition (Rol 152.138-2022)

  3. 14 Aug 2025

    Senate reports approval in general of the online betting bill, Boletín 14838-03, by 27 votes to 3

  4. 30 Sept 2025

    Supreme Court orders six ISPs to block unauthorised betting sites (Rol 18.080-2025)

  5. 2 Jun 2026

    SII Resolution 69 opens VAT registration for offshore betting platforms

  6. 11 Jun 2026

    Subtel proposes DNS blocking of individually named domains to the Santiago Court of Appeals

  7. 16 Jun 2026

    Senate Economy Committee agrees a technical working group with the Executive on the bill

  8. 15 Jul 2026

    SII Resolution 94 lists non-registered platforms for VAT withholding by payment operators from 1 August; 25 platforms had registered

  9. 12 Aug 2026

    CMF opens consultation on limiting card operators' services to lawful activity

  10. 1 Sept 2026

    Subtel orders DNS blocking of 42 betting URLs

  11. 21 Sept 2026

    Subtel orders DNS blocking of 37 more domains

Outlook

Boletín 14838-03 is the question. The Economy Committee and the Ministry of Finance are drafting an agreed text, and the Senate has set a new amendment deadline of 16 October 2026; and committee members want local incorporation, disclosure of beneficial owners, advertising limits and a specific tax plus VAT. A permanent Superintendent will be chosen from the competition that closed on 5 October 2026. Watch for the CMF's final rule on card operators, further Subtel blocking orders, the SII's first quarterly VAT collection from registered platforms, the fate of Polla's criminal complaint, and the casino permit rounds for Coquimbo and Pucón, with new processes due for Iquique, Viña del Mar and Puerto Varas.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Chile?
No private operator can be licensed. Games of chance are illegal unless a special law authorises them; the Supreme Court has recognised the state lotteries' right to operate online and held that unauthorised online betting is illegal. A licensing bill, Boletín 14838-03, is still in the Senate.
Who regulates gambling in Chile?
The Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego, created by Law 19.995 and relating to the President through the Ministry of Finance. It regulates land-based casinos only and refers online complaints to the Ministerio Público. The post of Superintendent is filled on an acting basis while a public competition, which closed on 5 October 2026, is at the evaluation stage.
Are betting sites blocked in Chile?
Yes. Following the Supreme Court's September 2025 ruling, the SCJ validates domains and Subtel orders six internet providers to block them by DNS within 48 hours: 42 URLs on 1 September 2026 and 37 more on 21 September.
Do offshore betting platforms pay tax in Chile?
They owe VAT. SII Resolution 69 of June 2026 lets them register for digital-services VAT and pay arrears for 36 periods, and for platforms that did not register, payment operators withhold 19% VAT on each transaction. The SII says this does not make the activity lawful.
What would the online betting bill change?
It would license online platforms run by Chilean closed corporations under a renamed Superintendencia de Casinos, Apuestas y Juegos de Azar, with a 20% specific tax on gross income, 2% for sport, a 1% responsible gambling contribution and an annual 1,000 UTM licence charge, as the text stood when it left the Chamber.
How big is the legal casino market?
The 25 authorised casinos, 22 under Law 19.995 and 3 municipal, earned CLP 549,000 million in gross gaming revenue in 2025, 4.5% less in real terms than in 2024, according to the SCJ.
How much does a gambling licence cost in Chile?
For the Casino operating permit (permiso de operación), land-based only: Competitive process: applicants must score at least 60% on the technical evaluation, then the highest economic offer, an annual sum in UF paid to the host municipality, wins. Minimum capital of 10,000 UTM. Last verified 21 Oct 2026.

Glossary and directory

iGT coverage of Chile

Scales of justice gavel
Regulatory

Chile's State Lottery Names 11 Betting Operators in a Criminal Complaint

Polla Chilena has asked a Santiago court to investigate Betsson, Betano, 1xBet, Coolbet and seven others for unauthorised gambling, money laundering and criminal association. The state is collecting VAT from the same companies its own lottery is describing as an organisation.

All 13 articles on Chile →

Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Tier 3: established trade press, used to find and date the primary source. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

  1. Ley 19.995, establece las bases generales para la autorización, funcionamiento y fiscalización de casinos de juego (text as last amended 23 December 2023)

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego, hosting the Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional text

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 Jan 2005
  2. Juego ilegal

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  3. Marco normativo

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  4. Acerca de la SCJ

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  5. Superintendencia (head of service and functions)

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  6. Cuenta Pública Gestión 2025 (annual public account presentation)

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Jul 2026
  7. Proceso de otorgamiento de permisos de operación (active and closed processes)

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  8. Concluye la etapa de presentación de ofertas técnicas y económicas de los procesos de otorgamiento de permisos de operación

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 11 Aug 2026
  9. Concluye evaluación de ofertas para un casino de juego en la comuna de Puerto Varas

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 18 Aug 2026
  10. Sistema de Autoexclusión Voluntaria

    Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  11. Concurso Superintendente/a, Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego (ADP-36229): applications closed 5 October 2026, status Evaluación

    Servicio Civil, Alta Dirección Pública (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026
  12. Regulación de plataformas de apuestas en línea: acuerdan conformar mesa técnica con el Ejecutivo

    Senado de la República de Chile

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 16 Jun 2026
  13. Apuestas en línea: comisiones unidas de Economía y Hacienda analizarán el proyecto en particular

    Senado de la República de Chile

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 14 Aug 2025
  14. Conozca los aspectos claves del proyecto que regulará el desarrollo de plataformas de apuestas en línea

    Senado de la República de Chile

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 6 Aug 2025
  15. Comisión de Economía: director de SII explica cobro de IVA a sitios de apuestas en línea

    Senado de la República de Chile

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 9 Jun 2026
  16. Apuestas en línea: senadores piden regular y transparentar el mercado

    Senado de la República de Chile

    Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 8 Sept 2026
  17. Corte Suprema acoge recurso de protección y ordena bloquear acceso a sitios web de apuestas deportivas ilegales (Rol 18.080-2025)

    Poder Judicial de Chile

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 30 Sept 2025
  18. Corte Suprema acoge recurso de protección y ordena a proveedora de servicios de internet bloquear acceso a sitios de apuestas internacionales on line (Rol 152.138-2022)

    Poder Judicial de Chile

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 13 Sept 2023
  19. Subtel responde en tiempo y forma oficio de Corte de Santiago sobre bloqueo de sitios de apuestas online

    Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 11 Jun 2026
  20. Subtel ordena bloqueo de 42 sitios de apuestas online

    Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Sept 2026
  21. Subtel ordena bloqueo de 37 nuevos dominios de apuestas online

    Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 21 Sept 2026
  22. Resolución Exenta SII N° 69 de 2026: habilita sistema para que contribuyentes sin domicilio ni residencia en Chile que presten servicios de apuestas, juegos de azar y casinos en línea cumplan obligaciones tributarias

    Servicio de Impuestos Internos

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 2 Jun 2026
  23. SII da a conocer plataformas inscritas para el pago de IVA Digital y a las que aplicará fiscalización a través del cambio de sujeto (Resolución Exenta N° 94 de 2026)

    Servicio de Impuestos Internos

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2026
  24. Informe Normativo: nuevas actividades complementarias para operadores de tarjetas de pago (consultation draft, comments closed 9 September 2026)

    Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 12 Aug 2026
  25. Código Penal, arts. 275 to 279 (version of 20 August 2026)

    Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (LeyChile)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  26. Código Civil (DFL 1 de 2000), art. 26

    Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (LeyChile)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  27. Apuestas online: Polla presenta querella contra "casinos ilegales" y acusa lavado de activos y asociación delictiva

    La Tercera

    Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 24 Aug 2026
  28. Resolución Exenta SII N° 94 de 15 de julio de 2026 (nómina de contribuyentes IVA SD afectos a cambio de sujeto, en vigor desde el 1 de agosto de 2026)

    Servicio de Impuestos Internos

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2026
  29. Boletín 14838-03, legislative record (Sala, 23 September 2026: new deadline for amendments to 16 October 2026)

    Senado de Chile (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 14 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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