Uruguay weighs online betting rules

Uruguay’s Chamber of Operators and Lessors of Casino and Entertainment Hall Services has submitted a bill to the executive branch to regulate online betting. The proposal includes state oversight, traceability, user protection, and obligations tied to cybersecurity, data protection, anti-money laundering, and responsible gambling. According to specialized coverage, it has not yet been formally introduced in Parliament and remains under review by the executive branch.

What does the CUOASEC proposal cover?

The text seeks to organize online gaming activity in Uruguay and, according to the coverage reviewed, limit it to operators linked to authorized land-based casinos. It also proposes using only the bet.uy domain to identify legal operators and creating a fund for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction, financed by the activity itself.

Luis Gama, in remarks cited by Yogonet Latinoamérica, said that "online gaming is already a reality and needs a legal framework suited to that reality." The initiative was sent to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and to members of several political parties, but iGamingToday reported that it has still not formally reached Parliament.

What agency is reviewing it now?

The proposal remains under study by the executive branch, specifically the General Directorate of Casinos at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Coverage from iGamingToday and SCCG Management agrees on that point and adds that the bill has not yet begun its parliamentary process.

Beyond the regulatory side, the draft also sets out explicit cybersecurity and data protection obligations. That combination makes CUOASEC’s proposal one of the few recent initiatives linked to digital security in Uruguay, although in this case tied to the online betting market rather than to a general cybersecurity law.

What is happening with digital signatures?

In parallel, an international cooperation project is helping Uruguay align its digital signature and trust services framework with the European Union’s eIDAS standards. The initiative is taking place in the context of mutual recognition of digital signatures between the EU and Latin American countries.

The Estonian e-Governance Academy confirmed that support and said the work aims to bring Uruguay’s framework closer to European standards. In practical terms, the country is moving on two separate but relevant fronts for its digital regulatory infrastructure, an online betting review and a technical adjustment process for digital signatures.