NO CHANGE


In a number of jurisdictions such as Uruguay, Mexico and Colombia there have been very little developments with the situation remaining fundamentally the same over the last year. In Uruguay privately operated online gambling is still illegal although online sports betting is permitted via government monopoly. In November 2021 Uruguay’s Executive branch sent a bill to the senate that would permit both state run and privately run casinos to offer online casino games. Te bill passed in the senate however the Chamber of Deputies postponed the vote in January 2023. Tere have been attempts this year to revive the bill and get it out of the Finance Committee but there is strong opposition to the bill. In addition he government coalition not only lacks the necessary support to advance with a favourable report in the committee but also does not have the votes required to approve the initiative directly in the plenary session. Meanwhile in Colombia where online gambling has been legal


since 2016 there are still only 15 authorised licence holders. In recent years, the gambling board (Coljuegos) has issued a total of 15,521 blocking orders as part of its ongoing effort to combat illegal activities. However the industry could be hit with a ne which would be part of a tax reform project proposed by Gustavo Petro’s government. Te Petro administration is said to be targeting new sources of revenue. Among other points, the proposal would introduce a 19 per cent VAT on online gambling. According to local trade organisations this could have disastrous consequences on the industry. Juan Carlos Restrepo, president of the Colombian Association of Gaming Operators (Asojuegos), stated that the tax would be passed directly to consumers. In addition players would prefer to wager on international platforms that do not charge VAT. In Mexico much of the focus has been on outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s reform by which he banned new casinos with slot machines. In June a federal judge declared the reform unconstitutional. Te government decided to challenge the judicial decision which will mean that the issue will continue under Claudia Sheinbaum, who will assume the presidency of Mexico in October 2024.


Based on Sheinbaum's campaign history, it is estimated that the


new president will follow Obrador’s political model, however it is still too early to tell if she will continue to try and enforce the ban or of she will address Mexico’s gambling laws which have remained on the books since 1947. However If the ban does go into effect then it will mean that online gambling in Mexico will receive a huge boost as players will need to turn online to play. Indeed according to sources quoted in Mexican financial newspaper El Financiero if Obrador’s policy does go into effect then online casino gambling could increase by as much as 70 per cent over the next three years.


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