Overview of Online Gambling in Paraguay
In Paraguay, gambling is legal and regulated, but this primarily applies to land-based establishments. With the advent of the internet and widespread mobile access, online gambling has emerged in a legal grey area.
Although there have been discussions among Paraguayan lawmakers about introducing regulations for online gambling, no significant progress has been made. As a result, many gambling enthusiasts in Paraguay turn to offshore casino sites, where they can enjoy traditional casino games similar to those offered in the country’s licensed land-based venues.
Gambling Regulations in Paraguay
The governing body for the regulation of gambling in Paraguay is the National Gambling Commission, an administrative unit of the Ministry of Finance. It is officially known as La Comisión Nacional de Juegos de Azar (CONAJZAR) and was established in 1997 by Law No. 1,016/1997. The following are the provisions of this law, which still largely define the country’s gambling landscape:
- Games and gambling activities authorised by the law are casino games, lotteries, raffles, bingo, quiniela, sports betting, horse racing, and telebingo.
- The rights for the exploitation of national games of chance are made exclusively by public tender, and this typically lasts for five years.
- Gambling without permission from the relevant authorities is considered an economic crime against the treasury and viewed as the crime of fraud stated in the country’s criminal legislation.
However, the law does not account for gambling over the internet, and no legal cases regarding this have been made public.
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