Who regulates the market (Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar) - Dominican Republic

The formal regulator of the gambling sector of the Dominican Republic is Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar (DCJA), a structural unit of the Ministry of Finance. The official DCJA portal and the website of the Ministry of Finance have published services, rules and legal acts that determine the work of land-based casinos and the modern online segment.

1) Subordination and mandate

The DCJA is hosted in the Ministry of Finance system and is responsible for the administration and supervision of casinos and other forms of gambling (including interaction with the Casino Commission). The "Transparency" section of the Ministry of Finance points to DCJA as a specialized directorate that publishes plans, registers and reports.

2) Legal framework

The historical "core" of land-based casino regulation remains Ley No. 351-64 (with subsequent revisions), as well as a massive redesign of Ley No. 29-06, where, among other things, the official schedule of tables and slots for Casino Commission licenses is fixed (16: 00-06: 00 for tables). The framework is supplemented by anti-money laundering and fiscal norms and subsequent laws/regulations.

3) What exactly does DCJA (offline loop)

Casino licensing and services.

• Issuance of a license for the installation and operation of a casino (addressee - legal entity; administrative fees/rates and office service hours are established).
• Opening/re-opening of the hall - applications are submitted in advance (30 working days in advance); dates agreed by the Casino Commission.
• Changing the license schedule is a separate procedure for agreeing the operating time.

Inspections and legitimization of officials.

The Consulta de Inspectores service is available for citizens - an online verification of the identity of an inspector acting on behalf of DCJA (fight against fake checks).

4) DCJA and online marketplace (new role)

In 2024, the Ministry of Finance approved Resolución Núm. 136-2024, which established the licensing procedure for Internet games/betting and requirements for operators. The document establishes, among other things, warranty security (fianza) for the licensee - 20 million Dominican pesos, as well as requirements for technologies, KYC/AML and platforms; supervision is carried out by DCJA. Additionally, the service page of the Ministry of Finance indicates the responsibilities for storing player data and the availability of account status for DCJA for up to 10 years after the account is closed.

5) Practical processes: what it looks like for the operator

Rates/fees and requirements for the installation/operation of the casino and for the registration/replacement of the "responsible administration" of the site are listed in the DCJA service cards; Specify the benchmarks for the amounts of administrative payments and references to resolutions.

The coordination of the opening/restart dates and the operating mode is tied to the Casino Commission and the specialized services of the Ministry of Finance.

Communication with the inspection - through DCJA public channels; inspection of inspectors is available online.

6) Communication and public activity

DCJA regularly reports on measures against illegal activities and participates in specialized industry events; official messages are available on the digital channels of the Ministry of Finance/Government.

7) Where to look for norms and updates

DCJA portal - services, forms, "marko legal."

Portal of the Ministry of Finance - procedure cards (licenses, schedule changes), resolutions page, DCJA profile in the "Transparency" section.

Texts of laws and amendments - including Ley 351-64/29-06 (official publications and registers).

FAQ (short)

Who issues and administers licenses? DCJA (Ministry of Finance), with the participation of the Casino Commission on a number of procedures.

Where to check the inspector? Through the Consulta de Inspectores service on the DCJA portal.

Online gaming and betting - who regulates? Ministry of Finance on Resolución 136-2024; supervision and platform/data requirements - via DCJA.

Casino hours? Established in the law (in particular, in Ley 29-06): for tables - from 16:00 to 06:00 (for details, see the text of the law).

DCJA is the "operations center" for gambling regulation in the Dominican Republic: from licensing and inspections of land-based casinos to online digital surveillance for Resolución 136-2024. Public services (procedure cards, inspection of inspectors, legal framework) make the rules predictable for operators and transparent for citizens - this is the key to the sustainability of the country's tourism and entertainment product.