The Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay approved a series of final amendments to the country’s current gambling legislation (Law No. 1016/1997).
The approved bill includes the abolition of the gambling monopoly in Paraguay. However, the legislation previously stated that “the operation of national gambling will be carried out exclusively through a public tender.”
The amendments are aimed at expanding the powers of the National Gambling Commission (Conajzar) by placing it under the jurisdiction of the National Tax Revenue Directorate of the government (DNIT).
“The legislation focuses on modernising and tightening regulation of the sector, with the aim of increasing tax revenues generated by gambling,” – said in the Chamber of Deputies statement.
The bill will now be submitted to the government for final approval.
The approved amendments will open the door for private operators to start operating in Paraguay. They no longer need to obtain access through a government tender process.
The inclusion of Conajzar in the DNIT will allow for “institutional optimization” by increasing its ability to collect revenues.
The president of Conajzar Carlos Liseras said: “It is a fundamental step to democratise the market and allow greater competitiveness, which will translate into benefits for both operators and the state.”
Under the new rules, Conajzar will be tasked with overseeing gaming activities in Paraguay. This will include coordination, development, control and supervision of the market. This move is in line with the current government’s goals of improving the local economy, as well as social and economic changes that began in August 2023.
“Our country has witnessed marked economic and social changes, which has led to an exponential development of its markets and gambling has not been left behind by such dynamism,” the bill reads.
“Rather, it has been reached by technological and economic changes that have resulted in new types of gambling as well as in the number of providers and users of them.”
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