Government’s arguments to authorize online gambling in Uruguay’s casinos

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The bill empowers the Executive to directly exploit this activity, and to authorize it in licensees for on-site gambling, both in the mixed and private systems.

Undersecretary of Economy and Finance Alejandro Irastorza explained that after the closing of gambling venues due to the pandemic, several operators of mixed casinos requested the incorporation of the online modality.

Among the applicants, he mentioned the Criohsa Group, which operates the Radisson Victoria Plaza Casino in Montevideo; the Boldt Group and the Peralada Group, which operate the hotels and casinos in Salto and Rivera, and Hípica Rioplatense, which operates the Montevideo Shopping, 18 de Julio, Géant, Las Piedras and Pando halls.

The request has also been made by private casinos such as Enjoy, and even by the Cipriani group for its delayed project in Punta del Este.

“Illegal activity has remarkably increased; therefore this will somehow fight illegal online gambling. We submitted this bill to regularize the issue and establish a very strict and forceful regulation,” Irastorza stated in the Finance Committee’s draft bill.

The general director of Casinos Gustavo Anselmi said that online gambling exists virtually everywhere in the world. “It is controlled and regulated, it is complied with, and this is one more tool for Uruguay to regulate the online market because, since it is forbidden, it lacks any control, although the National Directorate of Lotteries and Betting Games is doing its best to shut down websites set up here,” he noted.

PLATFORMS, RECORDS AND TRACEABILITY

Anselmi explained that it is a platform or software fully certified by specialized companies. These companies also certify slots and online platforms, called GLI, similar to ISO quality standards. This software leases a hosting in the cloud, and the game modality to be authorized is loaded, be it roulette, cards or slots, for instance.

The General Directorate of Casinos can hire its own platform, he explained. Mixed operators may also operate it as a consortium and have a single platform, or otherwise each could provide its own. In the case of private casinos, the Executive plans to prepare other specific regulations for the sector.

The official added that the registration of individuals is similar to any other website or app by means of a sworn statement of all their data. The platform will not allow registering users outside Uruguayan territory.

These data are traced back to the ID and geolocation, so users will not be allowed to play if they are not within Uruguayan territory, although this could be a point to “consider” in the regulation.

Partido Nacional senator Jorge Gandini said that if Uruguayans play in Las Vegas, why shouldn’t foreigners be able to take part in an international poker championship in a Uruguayan casino while in Brazil or the United States?

As for payment methods, Anselmi explained that only credit cards are allowed. When clients register, they enter the card details and this enables to know the origin of the funds, which are banked.

The head of Casinos also pointed out that the platforms have a “responsible gaming” project.

“When clients register, this can be fully parameterized. It includes limits to play and lose, as well as a maximum number of games per minute or per hour, and if a client fails to comply, alters or exceeds this limit, he/she will be removed from the game. It also has a self-exclusion register, as casinos do, but this is stricter because the software makes it easily detectable,” Anselmi said.

According to the official, there will also be no welcome vouchers to other gambling websites.