Politics has slowed the launching of Chile’s online gaming market. At the beginning of 2022 the Ministry of Finance had promised a Gambling Bill that lawmakers could vote on by the end of the year.
The goal was to launch the regulated online market by the beginning of 2023. The Ministry had told the various responsible agencies to complete legislation on compliance duties, advertising and welfare in preparation for introducing the online market.
It promised to begin collecting $55 million in taxes and to crack down on the black market of an estimated 900 sites. In March, the Ministry was optimistic about getting its bill passed. It proposed a fixed fee for five-year licenses and proposed a 20 percent gross tax on licensed operators.
However, politics got in the way and the Economic Commission for Chile’s Chamber of Deputies last week insisted on a review of the proposed taxes. It asserted that the Ministry had done an insufficient job on the tax framework. It alleged that the framework lacked a regime for taxing international operators.
The Chamber of Deputies has ordered the Ministry to update the framework later this year and to add provisions on advertising and welfare policies.
