Chilean police have dismantled an illegal casino in the San Miguel district of Chile’s Metropolitan Region that had been shut down in 2025 and later resumed operations.
During the operation, Carabineros, the national police, seized 71 gambling machines and detained three people.
The authorities intervened at the venue after repeated complaints from neighbors, where they found people gambling inside, along with a citizen who, according to Carabineros, was running the premises and had an irregular migration status.
The three were detained for violating Law 19,995, known as the Casino Law.
In addition to the 71 machines, authorities seized cash and other items, with the total value of the seized goods estimated at more than CLP100m ($103,000). The premises also reportedly sold perfume, sandals, alcohol and cigarettes.
Carol Brown, Mayor of San Miguel, said: “In this case, a breach of seals, in other words, they were closed and they came back. This is the first one we have closed, we have an estimate that there are around six that could be operating and we hope to close them one by one.”
Inspection work in the district will continue, according to the Mayor, who described the case as a breach of closure seals.
Commenting on the operation’s outcome, Juan Andrés Barrientos, Regional Security Secretary for the Metropolitan Region, said: “Citizens, when they return from their working hours, tonight will be able to say that they were able to rest, because here many incivilities were being committed, such as alcohol and drug consumption, both outside and inside.”
Complaints from neighbors indicate there may be at least six other venues in San Miguel still operating despite having been closed.
The Chilean Senate has recently proposed two amendments to the online gambling bill submitted in 2022
