President Luis Abinader has appointed Teófilo José Abrahán Leo Tabar Manzur as transitional Director General of the Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Gambling (DGJA), as the country begins implementing its new gambling regulatory framework.
The appointment was made under Decree 684-26 following the publication of Law 86-26 in Official Gazette 11263 on October 2. The legislation establishes the DGJA as the regulator responsible for overseeing gambling activities under the new framework.
Tabar Manzur was previously coordinator of the Gambling Regulation Process and has held regulatory responsibilities in the sector for several years.
In 2022, he was appointed provisional director of the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling within the Ministry of Finance and tasked with implementing a regularization program for lottery betting shops operating outside existing licensing requirements.
The Dominican Government revived that regularization process in April 2026 through Decree 197-26. The measure covered lottery shops, points of sale, betting shops and other gambling operators, with the General Directorate of Internal Revenue given a greater role in verifying tax compliance.
Other regulatory changes introduced during 2026 included suitability assessments for shareholders, board members, senior management and key personnel at supervised operators.
The Ministry of Finance and Economy also established a National Self-Exclusion System under responsible gambling rules.
Law 86-26 extends the overhaul across the wider gambling market. Among its provisions, licensed online gambling is subject to a monthly 10% tax on operations, while internet gambling licenses have a 10-year term.
The DGJA can also seek the blocking of unauthorized gambling websites and applications.
Under Decree 684-26, the Advisory Council established in 2021 will continue to provide honorary advice to the DGJA on public policy and internal procedures. Government authorities have also been instructed to coordinate with the regulator as the new institutional structure is implemented.
In September, the Dominican Republic's Congress completed passage of the gambling reform legislation, including provisions for 10-year casino licenses, restrictions on casino locations and a general 10-year freeze on new gambling establishment licenses.
Tabar Manzur was appointed administrator of the Dominican Republic's National Lottery in 2021 before later taking responsibility for the lottery betting shop regularization program
