Legal casino gambling age in Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic has allowed licensed gambling for decades, but until October 2026 its rules were scattered across a 1964 casino statute, later amendments, tax laws and ministerial resolutions. Casinos, a national lottery, tens of thousands of lottery shops known as bancas, sports betting shops and, since 2024, licensed online platforms all operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (Hacienda). On 2 October 2026 President Luis Abinader promulgated Law 86-26, a single gambling statute that creates a new regulator, the General Directorate of Games of Chance (DGJA), and replaces the 1964 framework. This guide explains how the system developed, what the law now says, how online gambling is licensed and taxed, the position of players and the responsible gambling rules.
Key points
- Gambling is legal and licensed. Until October 2026 the core statute was Law 351 of 6 August 1964 on casinos, supervised by the Directorate of Casinos and Games of Chance (DCJA) within the Ministry of Finance.
- Online casino and betting licences have been available since Resolution 136-2024 of the Ministry of Finance. Licensed sites must use the Dominican .do domain, and online operations are taxed at 10% of monthly gross sales under Law 139-11 of 2011.
- Law 86-26, promulgated on 2 October 2026, creates the DGJA as an autonomous regulator under the Ministry of Finance, sets a ten-year freeze on new licences for most land-based venues once a new register is published, and gives existing operators 12 months to register.
- The state-owned Lotería Nacional, created by Law 689 of 1927, sits alongside a large private network of lottery shops; one trade report puts registered bancas at about 71,000 (2026).
- A National Self-Exclusion Registry with a minimum six-month exclusion was created by Resolution 184-2026 and is now also provided for in Law 86-26. The Ministry of Public Health runs a free mental health line, 811.
Last reviewed: 6 October 2026.
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Historical development
Public lotteries came first. Law 689 of 26 June 1927 established the Lotería Nacional as a public revenue (renta pública) attached to the treasury, according to the state’s official register of public bodies. Decree 890 of 1955 placed it under the Ministry of Finance, and Law 494-06 of 2006 confirmed that position. The Lotería Nacional remains a state body today.
Casino gambling was put on a statutory footing by Law 351, which authorised the issue of licences to gaming houses. The law is dated 6 August 1964, as its amending statute, Law 29-06 of 16 February 2006, records. Law 351 set up a Casino Commission chaired by the Secretary of Finance, with the Secretary of the Interior and Police, the Director of Tourism and the Director of Internal Revenue as members. The Commission examined applications and reported to the Executive, which decided whether to grant a licence. Casinos were to operate in first-category hotels, and minors were barred from gaming rooms.
Later laws extended the regime piece by piece. Law 96-88 authorised slot machines in casinos. A 2005 statute, published by the Senate legal database, amended Laws 351 and 96-88: it fixed casino opening hours, introduced fixed monthly taxes per gaming table and per slot machine, confined slot machines to casinos and sports betting shops, and required betting shops to be closed premises displaying a ban on entry by under-18s. Law 29-06 of 2006 tightened the registration of casino managers and confirmed the Executive’s power to modify or withdraw licences for reasons of public order. Sports betting shops (bancas deportivas) and lottery shops (bancas de lotería) grew rapidly from the 1990s and were regulated mainly through tax laws and Ministry resolutions rather than a dedicated statute.
Online gambling remained largely theoretical for many years. Trade press reporting by SiGMA states that before 2024 only one company held an online licence, issued in 2011. That changed in 2024, when the Ministry of Finance published a full licensing regime for internet gambling (see below).
Legal framework
The framework is in transition. The main instruments are:
- Law 351 of 1964, the casino licensing statute, as amended by Law 96-88 (slot machines), the 2005 amendments and Law 29-06 of 2006. Law 86-26 repeals Laws 351, 96-88 and 29-06, according to a summary by Inmobiliario.do, while their tax provisions remain in force until incorporated into updated tax legislation.
- Law 139-11 of 24 June 2011, a revenue law that set or raised taxes on casinos, slot machines, bancas and internet gaming, including a 10% monthly tax on gross sales from all games played over the internet.
- Law 30-26 of 2026, a fiscal reform promulgated on 18 June 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026, which raised several gambling taxes and changed withholding on prizes (Yogonet; PwC).
- Law 155-17 on money laundering and terrorist financing, which treats gambling operators as regulated entities. The DCJA lists it, with its implementing decrees and sector-specific resolutions, in its legal framework register.
- Ministry of Finance resolutions, notably Resolution 136-2024 on internet gambling, Resolution 202-2023 on administrative sanctions, and Resolution 184-2026 on responsible gambling and self-exclusion.
- Law 86-26 of 2026, the new general gambling law, published in Official Gazette No. 11263 on 2 October 2026 (Diario Libre; FC Abogados). It has about 195 articles and covers casinos, slot machine halls, sports betting, lottery shops, horse racing agencies, electronic lotteries, bingo, raffles and online gambling.
The Dominican Republic is a unitary state, so gambling regulation is national. The new law also introduces minimum distances: according to Diario Libre, gambling venues other than casinos must be at least 500 metres from schools, universities, churches, hospitals, barracks, nurseries and state institutions, sports betting shops must be 500 metres apart and lottery shops 200 metres apart.
Regulator and licensing model
The country uses a licensing model: private operators may run gambling businesses if the state grants them a licence and they pay the prescribed taxes. The exception is the Lotería Nacional, which the state runs itself. Until October 2026 licences were handled by the Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar (DCJA), a unit of the Ministry of Finance and Economy that regulated, organised and supervised gambling, with the Casino Commission advising on casino licences.
Law 86-26 replaces the DCJA with the General Directorate of Games of Chance (Dirección General de Juegos de Azar, DGJA). It is a decentralised body attached to the Ministry of Finance, with administrative, financial and technical autonomy (Yogonet). Licensing decisions involve a Gaming Council (Consejo de Juegos de Azar). By Decree 684-26 of 2 October 2026 the President appointed Teófilo (Quico) Tabar, the administrator of the Lotería Nacional, as transitional director general. The Minister of Finance, Magín Díaz, swore him in on 5 October 2026 (Diario Libre).
The main licence terms under Law 86-26, as reported by press and law-firm summaries, are:
- Casinos: ten-year licences, only in hotels of four stars or more; slot machine halls need a separate ten-year licence (Diario Libre).
- Sports betting shops: ten-year licences, closed premises with video surveillance and covered windows, and a maximum of 15 slot machines per shop (Articles 87 to 89, as summarised by FC Abogados).
- Lottery shops: five-year licences. An earlier draft had proposed two years; the Chamber of Deputies extended the term (Diario Libre).
- Online gaming: ten-year licences (Article 77, FC Abogados).
- Licensing freeze: existing operators have 12 months to enter a Single Registration System (Sistema Único de Registro), and the list of licensees is then published. For ten years after publication no new licences will be granted for the establishments covered, except casinos in hotels and tourist areas (Articles 190 and 191).
The scale of the land-based market explains the emphasis on registration. A January 2024 statement by the DCJA, reported by Focus Gaming News, referred to about 70,000 registered lottery points, and G3 Newswire put the number of registered lottery shops at about 71,000 in September 2026. In March 2026 Decree 197-26 reactivated a national plan to regularise lottery shops and betting outlets, replaced the earlier Decree 295-22, gave the tax authority (DGII) a larger role in checking compliance and named the Lotería Nacional administrator as coordinator (Diario Libre).
Online gambling: what is permitted and how it is enforced
Online gambling is lawful only for licensed operators. Resolution 136-2024, titled as regulating the authorisation to operate games of chance over the internet, was signed by the Minister of Finance and published in early April 2024 (Yogonet). It created three licence categories: online casino, sports betting and other online games. According to the Ministry’s service page, the licence fees are RD$20,473,481 for an online casino, RD$15,355,111 for sports betting and RD$10,236,740 for other online games, and applicants must lodge a fidelity bond of RD$20,000,000. Only companies may apply. Platforms must meet ISO/IEC security standards, use a .do domain name, keep records for ten years, ensure that only players aged 18 or over can register, and begin operating within six months of the licence. Trade press reported that licences under the resolution last five years and cannot be transferred during the first three years.
The DCJA did not publish a consolidated register of online licensees that we could locate. Readers should check directly with the Ministry of Finance or the new DGJA whether a given site is licensed.
Law 86-26 puts online gambling into statute. According to Yogonet, only licensed entities operating under the .do domain may offer online gambling, and operating outside that framework is a serious infringement. Online operators must verify each player’s identity and age against the records of the Central Electoral Board before accepting deposits or bets, offer configurable limits on deposits, losses and session time, and allow the regulator remote access to their systems (FC Abogados). In describing the bill in September 2026, Diario Libre reported that the gambling authority would be able to request the blocking of domains and the suspension of payments to unlicensed platforms. We found no published figures on websites blocked in the Dominican Republic, and the implementing rules on blocking had not been issued at the time of review.
Before the new law, enforcement against unlicensed online operators relied mainly on public warnings. In a notice dated 24 April 2026, the DCJA warned that several prediction-market platforms held no licence, registration or authorisation from the Ministry of Finance. It advised the public not to deposit funds with them and to withdraw any funds already deposited.
Advertising. Under Article 37 of Law 86-26, advertising that is directed at or attractive to persons under 18 is prohibited, and promotions must carry the warning “Jugar puede provocar adicción y afectar la salud” (“Gambling can cause addiction and affect health”) with the helpline number (FC Abogados). Resolution 184-2026 maintains the existing prohibition on casinos and slot machine halls advertising by any means.
Position of players
Dominican gambling law is addressed to operators. Law 351 and its amendments regulate who may run a casino and bar minors from gaming rooms. Law 86-26 sets administrative sanctions (fines, suspension, licence cancellation and disqualification of managers) and criminal penalties for unauthorised operation; according to Inmobiliario.do, prison terms range from one to ten years depending on the gravity of the offence. When the bill was before Congress, Diario Libre reported that it did not impose fines on players. We found no provision making it an offence for an adult to play on an unlicensed website, and no record of players being prosecuted or fined for doing so.
That does not make unlicensed play safe or protected. Players on unlicensed sites cannot rely on the regulator, the self-exclusion system or the bond lodged by licensed operators, and the DCJA has advised the public to verify an operator’s authorisation before depositing funds (DCJA, 2026). The minimum age for all gambling is 18.
Taxation
Operators
Gambling taxes are set by revenue laws rather than by the gambling statute, and they differ by product. The main charges are:
- Internet gaming: 10% a month on gross sales from all games played over the internet (Law 139-11). Law 86-26 keeps the 10% rate and, according to Inmobiliario.do, provides for a provisional fixed payment of RD$5,000,000 a month until the regulator’s collection technology is operational.
- Casinos: a simplified income tax regime based on the number of tables in operation. Law 30-26 sets monthly amounts of RD$70,000, RD$80,000 or RD$100,000 according to the band of tables (1 to 15, 16 to 35, 36 or more), as summarised by PwC.
- Slot machines: a fixed amount per machine, which varies by location, and a minimum return to players of 85% (PwC). Law 30-26 also removed the import exemption for slot machines.
- Lottery shops: an annual tax of RD$85,000 plus an initial registration fee of RD$200,000 (PwC). Congress reduced the annual figure from the RD$120,000 proposed by the Executive (Diario Libre).
- Sports betting shops: an annual tax of RD$500,000 per outlet in the main metropolitan areas and RD$300,000 elsewhere, plus an initial fee of RD$500,000 (PwC).
- Electronic lotteries: 24% for cumulative draws and 2.5% for non-cumulative draws under Law 86-26, according to Inmobiliario.do.
The bill as debated in August 2026 also provided for a discount scheme on gambling operators’ tax debts accumulated up to December 2025, available only to regularised and registered operators; we could not confirm the final wording in Law 86-26 (Yogonet).
Players
Prizes are subject to income tax withheld at source by the payer. According to DGII guidance, citing Article 309 of the Tax Code as amended by Law 253-12 and Law 30-26, the withholding is 25% on lottery, raffle and promotional prizes and 15% on slot machine winnings. Winnings from sports betting and lottery shops are subject to 15% between RD$200,001 and RD$600,000 and 25% above that amount. The withholding is generally a final payment. We did not find official guidance specifically on winnings from licensed online platforms.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Responsible gambling rules were set first by ministerial resolution. Resolution 184-2026, signed by the Minister of Finance on 29 April 2026 and announced in May (Yogonet), sets the following rules:
- National Self-Exclusion System: a central, voluntary register managed by the gambling regulator. Players can enrol in person or online for at least six months. All operators, including lottery shops, betting shops, casinos, slot machine halls, online platforms, bingo and raffles, must block registered persons.
- Limits and monitoring: operators must offer limits on time, spending and deposits, with alerts as limits approach, and must monitor player behaviour and train staff.
- Warnings: establishments and promotions must display the message that compulsive gambling is harmful to health, with the Ministry of Public Health’s mental health line.
- Credit: operators may not lend to players to continue gambling.
- Deadline: licensees have six months from publication to comply.
Law 86-26 puts the National Self-Exclusion Registry into statute (Article 38), with a minimum six-month period, a duty on operators to consult the register and a ban on advertising or bonuses to excluded persons (FC Abogados). According to Diario Libre, 10% of revenue from penalties is to fund prevention and treatment programmes coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health.
For support, the Ministry of Public Health operates a free, permanently available national mental health line, 811, which replaced the earlier number 809-200-1400. We did not find a dedicated national gambling helpline. Our responsible gambling guide sets out general steps for keeping gambling under control.
Recent and upcoming developments
- April 2024: online licensing. Resolution 136-2024 opened licensing for online casinos and betting (Yogonet).
- June 2025: the presidential bill. In June 2025 President Abinader sent Congress a bill to regulate games of chance, creating the DGJA and covering 15 gambling modalities, including internet and virtual gaming. It proposed a 10% monthly tax on online gross sales and restricted slot machines to casinos, certain hotels and sports betting shops (Yogonet). It was referred to a Senate committee.
- March to May 2026: regularisation and self-exclusion. Decree 197-26 reactivated the regularisation of lottery shops, and Resolution 184-2026 created the self-exclusion system.
- June to July 2026: Law 30-26. New gambling taxes and prize withholding rates took effect on 1 July 2026 (Yogonet).
- July to September 2026: passage through Congress. The bill finally enacted was sponsored in the Senate by Senators Pedro Catrain and Félix Bautista, and had been approved by the Senate in an earlier legislative session (Diario Libre). The Chamber of Deputies approved it with amendments in late July 2026 (G3 Newswire). On 1 September 2026 a civic group, Fundación Primero Justicia, asked the Attorney General to investigate claims that money had been paid to speed the bill’s approval; it did not show that any payment had been made (G3 Newswire). The Senate accepted the Deputies’ amendments on 16 September 2026, and the bill went to the President on 18 September (Listín Diario).
- 2 October 2026: Law 86-26 promulgated. The President promulgated the law and appointed the DGJA’s transitional director the same day (Diario Libre).
- Next steps. The Executive must issue implementing regulations within 90 days. Existing licensees have three months to adapt their operations and platforms and 12 months to register. The ten-year freeze starts only when the register of licensees is published (FC Abogados). The Gaming Council is to set administrative fees and rates for each licence category within six months of enactment (Inmobiliario.do).
Casino listings for players in the Dominican Republic
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not by themselves show that an operator holds a Dominican licence. Online gambling may lawfully be offered to players in the Dominican Republic only by operators licensed by the Ministry of Finance (now through the DGJA) and operating under a .do domain, and readers should check an operator’s authorisation with the regulator before playing.
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Sources and further reading
- Congress of the Dominican Republic (Justia), Ley No. 351 que autoriza la expedición de licencia a establecimientos de casas de juego de azar (1964).
- Congress of the Dominican Republic (DGII), Ley No. 29-06 que modifica varios artículos de la Ley No. 351 de 1964 (2006).
- Senate of the Dominican Republic, legal database, Ley que modifica las Leyes 351 de 1964 y 96-88 sobre casinos y máquinas tragamonedas (2005).
- Congress of the Dominican Republic (DGII), Ley No. 139-11 para aumentar los ingresos tributarios (2011).
- Ministry of Public Administration (MAP), Clasificador de Organismos del Estado Dominicano: Lotería Nacional (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar, Marco legal (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Ministry of Finance and Economy, Resolución Núm. 136-2024 que regula la autorización de operar juegos de azar por internet (2024).
- Ministry of Finance and Economy, Expedición de licencia de operación de juegos de azar y apuestas por internet (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Ministry of Finance and Economy, Resolución Núm. 184-2026 sobre juego responsable y Sistema Nacional de Autoexclusión (2026).
- Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar, Aviso de advertencia: plataformas de predicción (MHE-2026-013889) (2026).
- Ministry of Public Health, Presidente Abinader encabeza presentación de avances en salud mental; línea 811 (2026).
- Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII), ¿Qué porcentaje del ISR debo retener a las ganancias o premios otorgados? (accessed 6 October 2026).
- PwC Interaméricas, Modificaciones introducidas por la Ley 30-26 (2026).
- FC Abogados, Nueva Ley de Juegos de Azar en República Dominicana: ¿qué cambia con la Ley núm. 86-26? (2026).
- FC Abogados, Publicidad de apuestas y protección de menores: ¿qué prohíbe la nueva Ley 86-26? (2026).
- FC Abogados, Bancas de lotería y apuestas deportivas: ¿qué cambia con la nueva Ley 86-26? (2026).
- Inmobiliario.do, Guide: what changes for casinos, banks and betting with the new Law 86-26 (2026).
- Senate of the Dominican Republic, El Senado aprobó en única lectura el proyecto de ley que regula los juegos de azar (2026).
- Diario Libre, Abinader promulga ley que regula los juegos de azar y designa a Quico Tabar al frente (2026).
- Diario Libre, Quico Tabar es juramentado como director general transitorio de Juegos de Azar (2026).
- Diario Libre, Senado aprueba en única lectura el proyecto de ley que regula los juegos de azar (2026).
- Diario Libre, Proyecto de juegos de azar crea registro para quienes decidan dejar de apostar (2026).
- Diario Libre, Cambios al proyecto de ley de juegos de azar inclinan la balanza en favor de los dueños de bancas (2026).
- Diario Libre, Poder Ejecutivo reactiva el plan de regularización de bancas de loterías y otros juegos de azar (2026).
- Listín Diario, Tras 10 días de aprobada, Gobierno aún no dice si promulgó u observó Ley que regula Juegos de Azar (2026).
- Yogonet, República Dominicana: el presidente Abinader envió al Congreso un proyecto de ley para regular los juegos de azar (2025).
- Yogonet, República Dominicana: el Ministerio de Hacienda publica una resolución que regula el juego online (2024).
- Yogonet, República Dominicana lanza un Sistema Nacional de Autoexclusión (2026).
- Yogonet, Entraron en vigencia los nuevos impuestos a los casinos, tragamonedas, loterías y apuestas deportivas (2026).
- Yogonet, El Congreso dominicano despacha al Ejecutivo la nueva Ley de Juegos de Azar (2026).
- Yogonet, Dominican Republic: new gambling bill proposes reducing operators’ outstanding tax debts (2026).
- G3 Newswire, Dominican Republic deputies pass gambling bill with 10 year licensing freeze (2026).
- G3 Newswire, Dominican Republic gambling bill faces alleged payment claims (2026).
- Focus Gaming News, La Dirección de Casinos de República Dominicana advierte sobre operadores no autorizados (2024).
- SiGMA, Dominican Republic’s comprehensive regulatory framework for online gambling (2024).
