The government of Paraguay has announced plans to re-regulate the country’s gambling market and clampdown on illegal operators who are depriving the state of tax revenue.

The proposed changes were set out in draft legislation submitted to congress last week, in which the government stressed the need for “new legislation that will contribute to the orderly development of the sector” under strict state supervision.

The proposal calls for the licensing of each gambling activity, “taking into account the importance of technology in the commercialisation of gambling”.

In a statement accompanying the draft legislation the government said that gambling should be offered through concessions to private operators or state-controlled entities, taking into account the importance of gaming systems certification, monitoring tools for the collection of bets, and the implementation of safeguards with regard to problem gambling and money laundering.

It also calls for the development of new types of games, the establishment of a concession process, and the means by which to prosecute unlicensed activity – all of which will require “a regulatory body with sufficient resources”.

Gaming Intelligence