Best Online Casinos in Chile
Chile has one of the fastest developing economies in South America, and actually enjoys a very high quality of life. Talking about its gambling market, it is also one of the fastest developing ones in the region. However, what about regulations? Well, there is bad news and good news.
The bad news is that only brick and mortar venues are more or less regulated. There are no local online casino Chile sites, and the Internet gambling niche is not controlled - not even close. However, the good news is that offshore sites gladly accept Chilean residents as real money players, while the Chilean government does not take any effort to limit this access to foreign gambling platforms.
So, you will find tons of top Chile online casinos opened for your real money playing, and of course winning! To save your time, check out the list of the best Chile online casinos that we have provided below. You will be able to choose the biggest bonus, and start winning real cash in no time.
According to the affiliate disclosure, we need to inform you that this page contains affiliate links. We can receive a commission on casino deposits made by users via these links. However, we honestly rank online casinos and provide the Casinority Score based rating. Play responsibly and only in legal allowed countries!
List of Online Casinos for players from Chile
History of Gambling in Chile
Little is known about Chilean gambling traditions, if any, before the European invasion. In the middle of the 16th century, the country found itself under the rule of Spanish conquistadors, who were Catholics, and imposed their religious lifestyle upon native population. As part of the Spanish Empire, Chile followed Catholic vision on gambling most of the time. Which means, officially condemned, but privately practiced from time to time. We suggest card games were very popular at that time.
The first checked information about a legal casino Chile dates back to 1852. It was licensed by the then government, and was a respectable venue. Since this time, many other gambling houses started to appear. One of the oldest, called the Vina Del Mar, was built back in 1930, and it is still in operation today. Later, Chile saw a decrease in the development of gambling market, when the country was under the rule of general Pinochet from 1973 to 1990.
In the 1990s, Internet started to develop quickly, and besides resurrecting land based facilities, online platforms started to appear, making passionate gamblers extremely interested and excited. Yet, the state was really slow with the legislation. Only by 2004, the first modern Gambling Law came into effect. According to the newly issued law, 24 casinos were approved, plus they were granted licenses and a minimum distance between casinos was decided upon.
By 2013, there was the first attempt to start regulating online gambling. The government wanted to make the best sites licensed, but something went wrong, and Chile failed to legalize and properly manage web casinos until today. Foreign operators wanting to reach the Chilean customers also do not have a legal way to do so.
Talking about other types of betting entertainment, before 1990s, the only allowed - and actually one of the most favourite - betting activities was horse racing betting. Horse racing and also dog racing are still very popular among Chilean punters today.
In 2008, the first sportsbooks became legal in Chile. The local lottery operator collaborated with the government and a software developer GTech, and they managed to install over two thousand betting terminals around the country to provide fixed odds betting service.
Current Situation on Gambling in Chile
Today, all types of offline gambling and punting are legal in Chile, so both locals and tourists can enjoy their favourite betting entertainment. There are numerous venues across the country. However, talking about online gaming, the situation is still unclear.
No local or foreign casino operators are granted license - or can legally apply for one - in order to provide web casino service in Chile. There are no laws and no regulatory mechanisms for such activity.
On the other hand, foreign companies like Spin Palace casino are free to reach out to Chilean residents offering their services, and these sites are not blacklisted or blocked by the state. Locals, in their turn, are free to play for real money at any sites they want, and are not persecuted for such activity. Mobile gambling is also extremely popular.
Considering huge taxes that can be potentially collected from web casino revenues - like from online casino Argentina - we can suggest that this situation will not last long, and the state will eventually change the rules to its financial benefit. However, for now, Chile is very online gambling friendly.
Chile Gambling Laws
There are no particular gambling laws that would apply to modern casinos. The act issued before is outdated, and it also cannot in any way be applied to web casinos. Also, there are no clear laws about responsibility of casino operators, and no laws about rights or responsibilities of the players. In other words, Chilean gambling legislation leaves much to be desired. Hopefully, we will see positive change in the nearest future, because this grey area market creates high risk for the players.
Regulatory Authorities in Chile
Licenses for land based venues in Chile are issued by the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego. This authority are regulates issued connected to licensing. The Chilean Gaming Control Board is another agency that takes care of other issues connected to functioning of brick and mortar betting facilities. When online gambling in Chile is to be regulated, most likely it will fall under the responsibility of the Board, as well. However, web niche develops really quickly, and in order to control it properly, the state will have to spend several years, since all the legislation is to be created from scratch. Perhaps local agencies will be created to handle gambling, both online and offline, in different regions.
Taxation Laws on Gambling in Chile
Currently, players are not expected to pay any taxes on their winnings. This applies to all players and all winnings - both offline and of course online. The one exception can be professional poker players whose winnings constitute much of their regular income. However, there are yet no known cases of player persecution due to not paying taxes on winnings.
Land Based Casinos in Chile
With over 30 brick and mortar gambling houses scattered around the country, it may be hard to choose one to enjoy the festive atmosphere typical of luxurious land based casinos. However, we have prepared a quick review of some of the biggest venues out there.
One of the oldest casinos in the country, this facility offers 85 table games, over 1200 video slots machines, and a poker room specifically for poker players. There is a hotel and several restaurants and bars.
This is a comparatively new facility, opened only in 2017. There are 12 table games, and more than 350 video slots machines. Poker players can enjoy a separate poker room, and for dining, there are two restaurants.
Another venue by the Enjoy brand, this casino has 60 table games, and 1200+ slots machines. There is a hotel, a restaurant, and a bar. Musical and entertainment events are held there on a regular basis.
Banking Options for Gambling in Chile
Luckily, Chilean government does not demand the banks to restrict transactions to and from online casinos Chile, so punters can use their plastic cards for deposits and withdrawals:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Maestro
- American Express
If not plastic cards, e-wallets and online payment systems are also available:
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Webmoney
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Paysafecard
- 2Checkout
- DineroMail
- Interpagos
- Mercado Pago
- Ogone
- PagosOnline
- Payza
- PayULatam
- First Data
- PagoFacil
- PayGol
- CCBill
- Redcompra
- Efectivo
- WorldPay
- Servipag
Popular Cities for Gambling in Chile
Most cities in the country have only one casino which is easy to find. Here, we decided to give you some choice, and provided the list of cities that have more than one gambling house. These are:
- Arica - 2
- Puerto Varas - 2
- Santiago - 2
- Valparaiso - 3
- Viña del Mar - 2
There are also horse and hound racing tracks located nearby big cities. Bingo halls and slots machines halls are present even in smaller towns.
Facts About Chile
- Chile is translated as “where the land ends”
- there is an official UFO research bureau
- Chileans are the second biggest bread consumers globally
- some oldest mummies in the world were found in Chile
- the biggest swimming pool in the world is located here
- Chile is famous for its wines
