- A new gambling bill could cost up to 20,000 Dominican jobs and shut down over 3,500 sports betting shops.
- Industry leaders claim the proposal favors large operators and threatens local economic stability.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A gambling reform bill pushed by President Luis Abinader is drawing fierce backlash from the Dominican sports betting industry. Operators warn that the legislation could eliminate up to 20,000 jobs and shutter thousands of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks across the country.
The Dominican Association of Sports Betting (ADOBAD) sounded the alarm Tuesday, calling the bill a “potential catastrophe” for small business owners and local communities. The proposed legislation, now under consideration by the National Congress, aims to overhaul the country’s gambling laws, cracking down on money laundering and consolidating oversight.
It would also formalize tax collection across all verticals, including online casinos and sports betting.
ADOBAD President Francisco Perez criticized the bill for opening the floodgates to virtual gambling machines in establishments that lack proper licensing and safety standards.
“This bill, as written, would devastate over 3,500 legal sports betting operations, making room for unchecked electronic gambling in insecure, unregulated spaces,” Perez said in a public statement. “It will cause irreparable harm to Dominican families.”
The reform includes the creation of a centralized regulator, the Direccion General de Juegos de Azar (DGJA), which would fall under the Ministry of Finance. This body would be responsible for licensing, compliance, anti-money laundering enforcement, and tax collection.
The Pros and Cons
Supporters argue that the bill brings much-needed oversight and modernization to a sector long plagued by corruption and outdated rules. Critics, however, say the broad scope and heavy-handed zoning rules (such as a 500-meter buffer from schools and churches for legal online sportsbooks) threaten to erase an entire industry built around brick-and-mortar betting kiosks.
Under the proposed tax structure, urban-area sports clubs would face steep operating costs, including an annual tax of 386,000 pesos (~$20,500), a 1% tax on gross sales, and a licensing fee of nearly 800,000 pesos (~$42,600). Online platforms would be taxed at 10% of sports betting revenue, or pay a fixed monthly fee of 5 million pesos (~$267,000), whichever is higher.
The bill also introduces prison sentences of up to 10 years for illegal operators and money laundering violations.
President Abinader’s administration maintains the law is necessary; But for ADOBAD and other industry voices, the reform’s current draft is seen as favoring large casino and online operators at the expense of small-scale businesses and local employees.
“This is not about regulation — it’s about elimination,” said Perez. “We ask lawmakers to revise the bill with equity and sustainability in mind, or thousands of Dominicans will be out of work.”
As debate intensifies, lawmakers are expected to hold further hearings in the coming weeks.
