Santo Domingo.— The bill that seeks to regulate gambling in the Dominican Republic establishes new conditions for the installation and operation of casinos, limiting their operation to hotels classified with four stars or more and setting a five-year validity period for operating licenses.
The initiative, which was approved with modifications by the Chamber of Deputies and returned to the Senate of the Republic for review, provides in its article 47 that casino operating licenses will have a duration of five years, after which they must be renewed in accordance with the procedures established by the regulations.
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Regarding the location of these establishments, Article 48 establishes that casinos may only be installed and operated in hotels that are in operation and have been classified with a minimum category of four stars by the competent authority.
The project also specifies that casinos must operate in an individualized space within the hotel, intended exclusively for the development of the gambling games authorized in the corresponding license, with the purpose of guaranteeing greater control over this activity.
These provisions are part of the new regulatory framework promoted by the Executive Branch to reorganize the gambling sector, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and establish stricter rules for the operation of casinos, betting shops, and other forms of wagering.
The legislative proposal also contemplates the creation of the General Directorate of Gambling (DGJA), a new regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Finance, as well as a sanctions regime that includes fines, suspension of licenses, disqualification of administrators, and prison sentences for those who operate illegally or commit infractions classified as serious and very serious.
Following its approval with modifications in the Chamber of Deputies, the bill must be reviewed again by the Senate, which will decide whether to accept the changes before completing the legislative process.
