The proposal presented to the Senate seeks to give more autonomy to the National Gambling Commission.
Paraguay.- The Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee of Paraguay met this week to discuss various initiatives, including the new bill to amend Law No. 1016/1997, which regulates gambling in the country.
The proposal was presented by Senators Sergio Rojas and Dionisio Amarilla, and aims not only to deregulate the licensing concession in Paraguay but also to give more autonomy to the National Gambling Commission (Conajzar).
According to the Senate's website, the authors of the document propose a stricter framework that grants the regulatory body the ability to supervise and, if necessary, confiscate equipment used illegally, such as slot machines.
The document presented by Rojas and Amarilla states: “It is necessary to point out that the commercial dynamics of gambling have evolved more rapidly than the currently valid legal regime, which is unconstitutional in several aspects. The emergence of technological platforms for betting intake and prize payment makes the exploitation of games by multiple concessionaires even more viable, considering that the exclusivity monopoly facilitates the proliferation of illegal gambling”.
In this regard, the authors of the project argued: “We consider it pertinent and necessary, at this time, to present this project. We are convinced that it responds to the claims and priorities at the national level.” The project was postponed for 22 days for detailed review.
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The meeting was attended by Carlos Liseras, president of Conajzar, who celebrated the project of Senators Rojas and Amarilla and emphasized that the modification of the current law has been “a concern and a desire of the institution” since he took office in 2023.
Also, Liseras recalled the project of Deputy Adrián “Billy” Vaesken, presented last year in the Lower House, which prioritizes the deregulation of gambling and declared: “This situation directly affects what the president wants, which is the creation of jobs, from the end of the monopoly, and that there is competition to energize the economy”.
However, despite valuing Vaesken's project, he highlighted that the new bill by Rojas and Amarilla also seeks to update the role of Conajzar: “What is needed is to provide the regulatory body with the technical and legal capacity to carry out its tasks, such as seizing all elements used in the clandestine exploitation of gambling,” commented Liseras.
