The Dominican Republic's Chamber of Deputies has approved, in two urgent readings, a revised bill that would establish a new legal framework for gambling regulation, moving the legislation back to the Senate for consideration of amendments introduced by the lower chamber.
The proposal forms part of a wider effort by Dominican lawmakers to modernize gambling legislation governing casinos, sports betting, lotteries and other gaming activities.
According to Chamber President Alfredo Pacheco, the legislation contains approximately 195 articles, reflecting the breadth of the proposed reforms. The bill was reviewed by a special committee before deputies approved it with modifications during an extraordinary session.
Committee chairman Rogelio Genao Lanza said the existing legal framework lacks sufficient supervisory mechanisms and that the bill seeks to establish comprehensive rules covering gambling activities across the country.
The legislation has been under parliamentary review for several months. Earlier this year, the Senate's Finance Committee examined and merged separate gambling and betting proposals submitted by senators Pedro Catrain and Félix Bautista before advancing a unified text.
During committee scrutiny, lawmakers reviewed provisions relating to licensing, supervision, tax collection, player protections, fraud prevention and responsible gambling, while also incorporating recommendations from the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Directorate of Casinos and Games of Chance.
The latest vote comes as the Dominican Government continues broader reforms affecting the gambling industry. Authorities have pursued the regularization of lottery betting outlets and introduced higher taxes on casinos, lottery operators, sports betting shops and slot machine businesses through this month's fiscal reform package.
Together, those measures signal a broader effort to strengthen regulatory oversight and improve tax collection from the sector.
Because deputies amended the legislation, the Senate must now decide whether to accept the revised text before the bill can complete the legislative process. If approved, the measure would replace a fragmented regulatory framework with a single law governing the authorization, supervision and operation of gambling businesses throughout the Dominican Republic.
Earlier this week, anti-corruption group Red de Ciudadanos Contra la Corrupción urged Congress to reject separate legislative proposals that it said would expand horseracing agencies and increase the number of slot machine venues, arguing the country was already saturated with betting shops.
The Dominican Senate's original consolidated gambling bill combined separate legislative proposals covering both gambling and betting activities before being amended during committee review
