Chile’s debate over online betting regulation has intensified.
Indeed, representatives from the Chilean Association of Online Betting Platforms (APAL) have accused state lottery operator Polla Chilena de Beneficencia of attempting to eliminate competition.
APAL representatives say the operator acted through legal and administrative actions against other betting operators and activities.
The comments were made during testimony in an ongoing unfair competition lawsuit filed by online operator LatamWin against Polla Chilena before Santiago’s 16th Civil Court.
Carlos Baeza, spokesperson for APAL, argued that the state operator has promoted legal interpretations lacking “legal and factual basis” in an effort to damage the reputation and operation of online betting platforms in Chile.
According to Baeza, Polla’s strategy has focused on legal actions against telecommunications companies in order to block access to betting websites rather than directly suing operators themselves.
“Its objective is to eliminate from the market the other providers of online betting,” Baeza stated during testimony. “Polla Chilena is not against online betting, it is against competition in online betting.”
Baeza also argued that Chilean prosecutors had previously declined to pursue several complaints related to alleged illegal gambling operations involving online betting companies.
Former Polla Chilena President Macarena Carvallo denied making direct accusations against LatamWin specifically, stating that any comments made publicly or before Congress referred to online betting platforms in general terms.
She also confirmed that campaigns describing Polla as “the only legal Chilean betting house” were launched during her administration, although she said these decisions were made operationally by commercial and marketing teams.
Former General Manager Agustín Dupré similarly denied that Polla had targeted LatamWin directly, stating that legal measures focused on internet service providers enabling access to betting platforms.
Recently, Polla Chilena filed a separate complaint before Chile’s Advertising Self-Regulation and Ethics Council (CONAR) against agencies and production companies linked to campaigns for operators including Coolbet, Betano and Rojabet.r
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and APAL recently signed a cooperation agreement supporting the development of regulated online betting in Chile
