Reports
CARIBBEAN - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
While sports betting is rising in popularity the horse race industry has been in decline for some time. Te largest race track is the Hipódromo Quinto Centenario. In 2013 President Danilo Medina was forced to order the National Racing Commission to take over the track and all horse racing operations.
had not met its legal requirements as set out by law. In addition FENEBANCA called for the creation of a new entity which would be responsible for regulating the industry.
Tese calls in 2015 led to the creation of a standing committee in the Senate which began discussing a new gaming bill in March 2015. Te committee established that a new gaming board would be created in order to oversee the industry, as according to the President of the Committee Dionis Sánchez, gaming was proliferating “without proper control and supervision.”
In July 2016 the committee heard the opinions held by those involved in the gaming industry over a new bill which aimed to provide stricter control over gambling in the Dominican Republic.
Senators listened to members of FENEBANCA, P100 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
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as well as the Dominican Electronic Lottery (LEIDSA) – the largest electronic lottery licensed by the Dominican Lottery and Dominican Republic lottery operator Loto Real, who all gave their views on the new bill. Te bill seeks to regulate gambling, provide strict player protection measures, combat fraud and promote responsible gambling.
President of FENEBANCA, Wilson de los Santos, welcomed the initiative, arguing that the new bill would help eliminate the proliferation of illegal slot parlours, which he explained do not pay taxes, and has led to a spate of bankruptcies amongst licensed operators.
Meanwhile the National Casino and Gaming Board has been increasing the number of on site inspections and closures. In 2013 it closed a total of 1,782 illegal sports betting shops and closed a further 4,094 in 2014. Tese raids continued at a fast pace in 2015 and 2016.
HORSE RACING While sports betting is rising in popularity the
horse race industry has been in decline for some time. Te largest race track is the Hipódromo Quinto Centenario. In 2013 President Danilo Medina was forced to order the National Racing Commission to take over the track and all horse racing operations in Dominican Republic, after reports that the company was about to go bankrupt and the track was closed for a six- month period, after severe losses in revenue. However, while there are signs that the track has made some recovery under new administration the industry was hit by a scandal in November 2016 when a special investigation headed by the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic (CCRD) into the Dominican Equestrian Commission and the racetrack detected a large number of irregularities in betting sales. A subsequent inquiry discovered a multi million dollar shortfall in bets made for the races at the track and deposits made by betting agencies in 2013.
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