The gambling sector of the Dominican Republic has bounced back from the Covid-19 pandemic. General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII) statistics show that gaming revenue increased by 6.5 percent the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2022, Casino.org reported.
That was an increase from $35 million to $37 million. Consequently, tax revenue rose 35.4 percent from 2015-2022, said DGII.
The rapid growth highlights the growing importance of the gambling sector to the republic’s economic health. A standout in the sector is sports betting, which last year alone generated $24.8 million compared to $21 million in 2015 (17.9 percent.)
If growth continues, projections predict total revenue for the year to reach $74 million.
In recent years the three segments that grew the fastest were lottery prizes, slot machines and telephone games. They grew 93 percent, 49 percent and 33.7 percent respectively.
The slough that the gaming industry fell into as a result of the pandemic began to be reversed in 2021, which many industry experts attribute to the shift toward sports betting. Before that year the sector had operated without much government regulation.
Reforms were instituted and by 2022 the government began to enforce compliance. Noncompliant operators were shut down. Compliant operators began to flourish.
