Bolivia's Autoridad de Fiscalización del Juego (AJ) raided an unlicensed gambling venue in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on May 18, seizing 76 machines and shutting down a two-story property operating outside the country's regulatory framework.
Agents working alongside a public notary confirmed the seizure of 74 gaming machines, one slot machine and one manual roulette wheel, along with various operational components allegedly used to run the facility.
The AJ framed the intervention as part of ongoing enforcement efforts aimed at protecting citizens from the economic and security risks associated with illegal gambling operations. No arrests were publicly reported in connection with the raid.
The authority has not disclosed whether the property owner or operators could face criminal charges, or whether the investigation extends beyond the physical venue.
The raid follows a broader regional enforcement trend against illegal gambling operations. In Argentina, authorities in Buenos Aires recently dismantled an underground betting network operating out of a commercial property, seizing gambling equipment, cash and electronic devices allegedly tied to unauthorized gaming activity.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, Boldt recently secured a 20-year extension to continue operating slot machines across several Buenos Aires Province casino properties through 2046, underscoring the contrast between regulated concession renewals and the region's simultaneous crackdown on illegal gambling activity.
Bolivia has yet to develop a fully consolidated regulated gaming market, and the AJ has historically maintained a lower public profile than counterparts in neighboring markets such as Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, where enforcement campaigns have intensified over the past two years.
Bolivia's AJ operates under Law 060 of 2010, which placed gaming oversight under the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance, making it one of the region’s newer regulatory bodies.
