Apoja: Paraguay celebrates the decree regulating gambling

This is a new legal framework that updates regulations in place for almost three decades, establishing a 30-day period for the country's 263 municipalities to comply with the provisions and report their current permits, according to the union.

The regulations establish that the National Gaming Commission (Conajzar) will now report to the National Directorate of Tax Revenue (DNIT). To comply with this, Article 10 of the decree establishes the creation of the General Directorate of Gaming, which will serve as the main link.

"This restructuring seeks to strengthen the State's oversight capacity. According to data from the Paraguayan Organization for Intermunicipal Cooperation (Opaci), 263 municipalities must submit reports," the Apoja statement states.

“Now all municipalities have 30 days to report the permits granted to the General Directorate of Gambling, detailing the type of gambling authorized and the fees charged,” explained Lorena Rojas, president of the association, who affirmed that this is a “significant advance” for the sector, given that the industry was operating within an “obsolete” legal framework.

“Combating illegal gambling and formalizing the activity will allow for greater revenue collection and, with it, more resources to serve the most vulnerable sectors,” Rojas stated.

Requirements

Among the key provisions of the decree is the requirement that licensees' systems be connected online or in real time to the regulatory authority, while all equipment and devices must have certification issued by inspection entities accredited by the National Accreditation Body (ONA), with no ties to the sector.

“The licensees' systems must be connected online or in real time to the regulatory authority,” Rojas stated.

It also ends the monopoly on lottery games and sports betting, in a decision endorsed by the National Competition Commission (Conacom) in accordance with the Competition Defense Law.

Rojas emphasized that gambling represents a highly significant economic activity, with a social impact that must be addressed. In this regard, he appreciated that the new regulations contemplate the allocation of part of the revenue to the Directorate of Charity (Diben) to fund health services.

Conajzar not replaced, clarified

DNIT Director, Óscar Orué, clarified that the new regulations do not replace Conajzar, but rather create a General Directorate, which will have a representative from the DNIT and will be within the DNIT structure. "The Council will continue. The Director General of Gambling, in this case, will be the president of Conajzar," he explained.