Uruguay

Online gambling – except for lotteries and betting on horse races – is prohibited in Uruguay.

The Banca Quinela Association operates the National Lottery Network in Uruguay and was authorized in 2002 to use the internet for online ticket sales and sports lotteries (quasi-sports betting).

Similarly, the Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas in Montevideo was given permission to accept bets online in 2002.

In 2011 and 2013, calls were made to modernize Uruguay's gaming laws and incorporate online gaming into the mix.

In 2011, the Uruguayan government drafted a bill to centralize control over both casino operations and licensing. In 2013, the government announced it wanted to update Uruguay's regulatory framework to include online gaming.

No changes have yet been made to Uruguay's regulatory framework. In January 2018, the previously approved ban on the provision of online casino and poker services within Uruguay’s borders officially became effective. Also, a new taxation regime, under which an additional tax on turnover is imposed upon local land-based gambling venues, came into effect on the first day of 2018. The online gambling ban does not include sports betting. State-run lottery operator La Banca is the only one allowed to operate sports betting and online lottery games in the country under its new regulatory regime.

In August 2022, an online gambling bill in Uruguay was approved by the senate.