It has been a hugely significant year for online gambling regulation in Latin America. Nowhere is the change more dramatic than in Brazil now that online gambling has been given the green light. In Chile the long awaited online gambling bill is coming closer to becoming a reality and just needs to be voted on in the senate having spent months in the committee stage in the House of Deputies.
Interest in the online sector is high in Peru as lawmakers have put in place new rules and regulations covering the industry with international operators welcome. Indeed we are already beginning to see a number of significant partnerships developing as operators look to expand their footprint in the region with many more agreements likely to follow. Perhaps the most significant changes of all though could be
in Argentina. Tis is despite the fact that nothing from a regulatory perspective has really changed over the last year.
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However there are signs that change could be on the way. In fact in Argentina sports betting in particular is being looked on less favourably by lawmakers with calls for radical change in some provinces. We might well see a similar backlash in Brazil and Chile once these markets open up officially. Lawmakers will need to take action quickly to ensure that proper measures are in place to protect players especially minors from gambling-related harm.