The Dominican Republic’s National Congress has completed passage of legislation to overhaul the country’s gambling framework, with the Senate approving amendments previously made by the Chamber of Deputies.
The bill now passes to the Executive Branch for promulgation or observation after senators approved it in a single reading on 16 September. Several senators opposed advancing the legislation without further committee review.
The legislation contains at least 195 articles and would create the General Directorate of Gambling (DGJA), an autonomous and decentralized regulator with administrative, financial and technical independence. Its remit would cover casinos, lottery outlets, sports betting, horse racing, bingo, slot machines and online gambling.
Regulation currently sits with the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling within the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The directorate supervises casinos, lotteries and betting operations, while the existing framework draws on legislation dating back decades, including the 1964 casino licensing law and subsequent amendments.
The bill would introduce 10-year casino licenses issued by the DGJA and restrict casinos to hotels rated at least four stars. Slot machine rooms would require an additional license with the same duration.
Once the register of licensees is published, the legislation would also prevent new licenses for gambling establishments from being issued for 10 years, except for casinos operating in hotels and tourist areas.
Physical gambling businesses would generally be prohibited within 500 meters of locations including schools, universities, churches and hospitals. Casinos are exempt from those distance requirements.
The reforms follow regulatory measures already introduced during 2026. In May, the Ministry of Finance and Economy established a National Self-Exclusion System under responsible gambling rules, while April measures introduced suitability assessments for shareholders, senior management and other personnel at regulated operators.
Anti-money laundering requirements for supervised gambling businesses were updated in November 2025.
The existing regulator also licenses internet gambling, including online casinos and professional sports betting, meaning the legislation would consolidate oversight of activities already subject to separate licensing requirements under the current framework.
Regulatory jurisdiction has also remained under scrutiny elsewhere in the Americas. In July, US lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation seeking to place sports and casino-style prediction market contracts under state and tribal gaming authority rather than the federal derivatives framework.
The Dominican Republic’s current framework already requires sports betting outlets to maintain a minimum 500-meter distance from specified protected locations and other established sportsbooks
