The future makeup of Uruguay’s online gambling market continues to remain unclear.
The country’s President, Yamandú Orsi, has committed to recommencing discussions on regulating online gambling since being elected in March 2025, however, progress continues to stall.
In the most positive step towards regulation, Senator Felipe Carballo has set forth a bill that proposes a “mixed model” in which the state would operate its own gambling platform but also regulate private operators.
The National Directorate of Lotteries and Quinielas would administer the state-owned platform, as well as oversee the licensing of private operators, the regulation of advertising and marketing practices and hold the power to sanction stakeholders and revoke licences.
The bill also calls for a National Digital Registry of Bettors, in which all individuals participating in online gambling must be registered.
In the statement released by Carballo, he emphasised that modernisation is critical in Uruguay to recognise the globalised nature of the iGaming market.
“This paradigm shift has placed the Uruguayan state at a disadvantage in a globalised market, hindering its capacity for supervision, taxation, and control,” he stated, referring to the state’s current monopoly on gambling.
“The expansion of transnational platforms, coupled with the use of cryptocurrencies and virtual private networks (VPNs), has reduced the possibility of exercising effective authority over a sector that, if left unregulated, could generate significant economic, health, and social damage.”
In 2017, Uruguay’s Senate passed the “Accountability Law”, which banned all forms of online poker and casino activities via international operators.
Between 2021 and 2022, former President Luis Lacalle Pou attempted to implement legislation which would allow land-based casinos to offer online games. However, his efforts stalled due to a lack of consensus in the Chamber of Deputies and pressure from the business sector.
President Orsi and his cabinet must now make a decision on the bill and how the government wants to proceed in shaping the market. Since taking office, he has consistently urged caution, making it clear that reform will be focused on public health outcomes rather than political pressure.
During a recent press briefing, he said: “Regulation cannot be dictated by market pressure or political expediency. It must be guided by what protects our citizens and strengthens confidence in the institutions that govern gambling.”
