Paraguay's Senate committees have begun reviewing a government bill that would replace the National Gambling Commission with a new, more autonomous regulator. The proposal would create the National Directorate of Gambling and establish a new legal framework for land-based and online gambling.
The Senate's official account of the October 26 joint committee meeting says lawmakers continued examining the bill with representatives of the current regulator and other institutions. The executive branch submitted the proposal on October 12.
Carlos Liseras, president of the existing commission, told lawmakers that monthly gambling-sector collections had risen from about PYG12 billion to PYG21 billion. He also warned that illegal gambling and unlicensed betting reduce state revenue by avoiding the required fees.
An InfoPlay report says the current commission has only 12 employees to oversee the sector nationwide. Senator Luis Pettengill described the meeting as the start of a working process and said the committees aim to develop a more defined text within 15 days.
