The gambling bill would pause most new retail licences while authorities audit, register and connect more than 71,000 existing outlets
Freezing further expansion would give Dominican authorities time to address a retail gambling market that has grown faster than the state’s capacity to supervise it.
The Chamber of Deputies has approved an amended gambling bill that would suspend the issue of most new premises licences for 10 years.
The measure would apply after the official register of licensees is published. It covers the gambling establishments identified by the bill, including the lottery and sports betting outlets commonly known in the Dominican Republic as bancas.
Casinos located in hotels and designated tourist areas would be excluded from the moratorium.
The bill previously passed the Senate. However, amendments introduced by the lower house mean it must return to senators for further consideration before it can proceed to the Executive for possible enactment.
More than 71,000 outlets recorded
The proposal cites official data from the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling showing more than 71,000 registered lottery and sports betting businesses across the country.
That scale has made it difficult for authorities to validate operators, inspect premises and maintain an interconnected record of the market.
The proposed moratorium is intended to reverse the sequence of expansion. Authorities would first audit, validate, register and connect the existing network before considering further growth.
The restriction would not automatically close licensed businesses or cancel valid permissions.
Provisions covering acquired rights state that the transition process should not affect consolidated legal positions. Existing operators would retain the right to apply for licence renewal for a period equal to the original term, subject to technical assessment and regulatory compliance.
Conditional relief for historic debts
The bill would allow the regulator to create a special discount programme for tax and fee arrears accumulated up to December 2025.
Any relief would be coordinated with the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the General Directorate of Internal Revenue. Access would be conditional on the operator completing the registration and regularisation process.
The proposal also extends the registration period for lottery outlets, sales points, agencies and betting shops covered by the regularisation plan reactivated through Decree 197-26 in March 2026.
That decree instructed the authorities to complete the verification, validation and formalisation of the existing retail sector.
Different treatment for tourist casinos
The casino exception reflects the separate controls proposed for hotel-based gaming.
Under the bill, a casino could only be established in a hotel rated at least four stars or in an eligible tourist location. The proposal also treats those properties differently when applying minimum-distance requirements between gambling premises.
The bill remains subject to further legislative approval. The moratorium, debt relief and transitional protections will not take legal effect unless the final text is passed and promulgated.
