Gambling Laws in Uruguay
Gambling in Uruguay is legal under the Law for Gambling Games (Proyecto de Ley para Juegos de azar) from 2016 and its amendments, in all its land-based variety. However, with the
Decree No.366/017 by the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, from September 2017, which became on force since January 2018, all forms of unlicensed
online gambling in Uruguay have been prohibited in the country. The only license for online gambling currently is held by the site La Banca run by the national lottery. The land-based gambling sector is also monopolized by the state.
The body responsible for regulation of the gambling activities in the country is the National Directorate for Inspection of Betting and Gambling Games (La Dirección Nacional de Contralor de Apuestas y Juegos de Azar). The special task of organizing the land-based casino market in the country is given to the General Directorate for Casinos (Dirección General de Casinos) which takes care of the legal functioning of the land-based casino network in Uruguay. According to
Uruguayan gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Uruguay?
No. All forms of online gambling are prohibited in Uruguay, with the exception of the online lotto games organized by the national lottery provider. |
Online Casinos in Uruguay
There are no
online casinos in Uruguay, licensed under Uruguayan gambling laws to offer online casino services in the country, as of September 2017. Since January 2018 there is a ban on online gambling in the country which among other games specifically targets online casino games. Foreign
internet casino sites are actively being blocked by the respective authorities.
Online Poker in Uruguay
Although there are no special
Uruguayan online poker laws, the general ban on online gambling games in the country, which is on the force since January 2018, makes online poker illegal in Uruguay. Foreign
internet poker sites in Uruguay are also actively being blocked by the Uruguayan authorities.
Online Lottery in Uruguay
La Dirección Nacional de Loterías y Quinielas is the state-licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country, operating the market under the
Uruguayan lottery laws. Currently, some of the most popular land-based lotto games they offer are Loteria Uruguaya, Quiniela, Tombola, 5 de Oro Revancha. The website La Banca is the official site where lotto fans can buy tickets for the available lotto games and also play
online lotto in Uruguay. Currently, this is the only online gambling platform that is legal in the country.
Online Bingo in Uruguay
There are no specific
Uruguayan online bingo laws. Since January 2018 there is a ban on online gambling in the country which among other games also covers online bingo games not offered by the national lottery. Foreign
online bingo sites in Uruguay, are actively being blocked by the authorities.
Online Sports Betting in Uruguay
Currently, the only online betting license on the Uruguayan market is owned by the national lottery provider. However, as of September 2018, they have not yet launched a specialized
online sportsbook site in Uruguay. The site La Banca which they currently administer only contains possibilities for playing lotto games. Foreign
internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.
Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Uruguay
Online DFS sites in Uruguay do not have a legally regulated status. Considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is possible that
internet Daily Fantasy Sports soon receive a legal status in Uruguay.