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Gambling in USA 
Casino by countries
In Uruguay there are currently 4 land-based casinos, Nogaró, Piriápolis, Victoria Plaza and Rivera, as well as 2 private casinos in hotels, Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco & Spa and Enjoy Punta del Este Casino & Resort. Similarly, in the country there are 29 slot halls, with a large number of slot machines and casino games. The Uruguayan State operates and supervises games of chance through the General Directorate of Casinos.
Online casinos in Uruguay are not yet regulated at the state level, however international operators are present in the market.
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Casinos and online games in Uruguay
In relation to the online casino, in Uruguay the same legality problems are observed in other Latin American countries, something that has impeded the development and evolution of the sector. At the moment, only one modality is regulated, sports betting, with an authorization granted to the Quinielas Bank, with its operator Supermatch.
For its part, internet casino games are not regulated and the National Directorate of Lotteries and Quinielas is the body in charge of blocking pages that are operating illegally.
Despite this situation, Uruguay has the presence of the main casino operators in the world, all with international licenses, whether from Curaçao, Malta or Kahnawake. The best game developers on the market stand out, such as NetEnt, Microgaming or Playtech.
Among the online operators, there are Playuzu, Spin Casino, Europa Casino, Betsson or Jackpot City, to give a few examples, while in relation to games, the slot machines, Diamond Deal, Reel Thunder, Guardian of Athens, the progressive jackpot Ultimate Super reels, Treasure Nile, as well as options for poker, blackjack, European or American roulette, as well as baccarat.
Currently in Uruguay, a Bill to regulate online gambling is under discussion, with which this sector would follow the same line as the rest of the industry. The intention is that online casinos are under the supervision of the General Directorate of Casinos and the State would be in charge of exploiting or assigning concessions, so that private companies have authorized online operators. This would allow a total consolidation of the sector in Uruguay, something that has already been seen in other countries, such as the case of Colombia.
Live dealer casinos in Uruguay
In Uruguay, due to the lack of regulation, there is no local control of live casinos, but there are important providers in the industry, such as Authentic Gaming, Playtech or Evolution Gaming.
Several operators offer live casino with high quality streaming, such as Betsson, 888Casino or MrBet. The main Blackjack, Baccarat or Roulette titles are present in Uruguay, such as Mega roulette, Dragon Tiger, Live Baccarat or Lightning Blackjack.
Bitcoin Casino in Uruguay
In online operators present in Uruguay, you can place bets with cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin or Tron. In online casinos, such as True Fortune, 22Bet, Fortune Jack or 1xBet, there is the possibility of placing these bets. Some operators even offer the possibility to bet with more than 20 crypto and you can get welcome bonuses with BTC.
Physical casinos and slots in Uruguay
In Uruguay, there are "State Casinos", which are 4, as well as 29 game rooms, while totally private there are only two casinos. The Uruguayan State or the Municipality of Montevideo, are the ones that can grant the right to operate a casino. The casinos are operated directly, are given in concession or work under a mixed system, something widely used in this country.
One point to note is that the penetration of the sector is quite high, compared to other countries in the region, in addition to the fact that many European, Argentine or Brazilian tourists visit the country and enjoy the game.
The casinos and game rooms have slot machines, poker, roulette, baccarat or blackjack, all from the most prestigious developers in the industry such as Novomatic, Aristocrat, IGT or Microgaming.
The General Directorate of Casinos, a body that depends on the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is the entity in charge of operating and supervising everything related to the State Casinos, while private casinos are under the control of the Ministry of Economy, which is carried out through the Internal Audit of the Nation.
In addition to the Casinos del Estado, Nogaró, Piriápolis, Victoria Plaza, Rivera, and the private Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco & Spa and Enjoy Punta del Este Casino & Resort, several game rooms can be highlighted, such as 18 de Julio, Victoria Plaza, Atlántida, Artigas, Carmelo, Costa Urbana, Colonia Centro or Montevideo Shopping.
What games of chance do Uruguayans prefer?
Uruguayans are followers of the lottery, which is also operated by the State with the Uruguayan lottery. Likewise, other games such as Quiniela, Tombola, and 5 de Oro stand out, which are highly sought after by gamblers.
Sports betting, especially soccer, cannot be overlooked in a country as fanatical about this discipline as Uruguay. Another game of chance that Uruguayans are passionate about is horse racing betting.
When it comes to casino games, slots are very popular, as are roulette, blackjack, baccarat or bingo. Titles such as Book of Dead, Hot Fruits 20 or Guardian of Athens stand out, to give a few examples.
Contribution of games of chance to the economy of Uruguay
In Uruguay, the gambling industry generates significant resources for the country's economy. By current legislation, the games are covered by VAT, by the Income Tax of Business Activities "IRAE", Wealth Tax and by the Personal Income Tax "IRPF" or Income Tax of Non-Individuals. IRNR residents.
VAT is 22% and all games of chance are taxed, except lotteries, while IRAE is 25%. In addition, the tax system for casinos requires all gaming rooms an additional tax of 0.75% on income from gambling.
As for the numbers, the public information for the year 2018 (to take pre-pandemic figures), indicates that everything wagered in Uruguay, both in legal sports betting, racetracks, casinos or lotteries, meant 1.35% of GDP. In that year the figure of 813 million dollars was reached, exceeding the 809 million of 2017.
While in relation to the collection, the General Directorate of Casino, indicated that the figure of 204.3 million dollars was reached, nothing else in the casinos of the State. Undoubtedly, these are very important values for the Uruguayan State.
Taxes paid by players in Uruguay
In Uruguay, the prizes of games of chance are reached by the Taxes on Physical Income (IRPF) and Non-Residents (IRNR). Only the national lottery, a state-operated game, is currently exempt.
The rate of this tax is 12% and is applied to the difference between the prize that is won and the amount of money that was wagered. To be taxed, the prizes must be greater than 100,000 indexed units, that is, greater than 13,000 US dollars. In addition, it does not apply when the prizes do not exceed the sum wagered multiplied by 71.
Self-exclusion and prevention of pathological gambling in Uruguay
All legal casinos in Uruguay have programs for Responsible Gaming. On the part of the State Casinos, there is an agreement with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Republic, for the treatment and prevention of compulsive gambling.
Similarly, on the website of the General Directorate of Casinos, there is a free telephone assistance line. Through the number 0800 8631, you can request self-exclusion from physical casinos or ask for advice to go to a help center for problem gambling.
Another outstanding program for Responsible Gaming is offered by the private casino Enjoy Punta del Este. It is called "Played by you" and has been developed since 2008, to promote responsible practices in bettors.
The mission is to provide customers and their families with different tools to combat problem gambling. You are given all kinds of guidance in different aspects, be it financial, legal or psychological.
Experts help and guide players or family members, offering alternatives to problematic gambling, as well as having the option of self-exclusion.
In the case of online operators, despite the fact that there is no formal regulation by the State, there are internet casinos that have an international license and offer the possibility of establishing limits on bets, in addition to suspension or self-exclusion.
History of gambling in Uruguay
In the smallest country in South America, the history of gambling is long-standing. On July 9, 1819, in the Plaza Mayor, in front of the doors of the Cabildo de Montevideo, the first lottery draw was held. It is worth noting that the National Directorate of Lotteries and Pools, the entity in charge of supervising the sector, was created on July 12, 1856.
Regarding the regulation of games of chance, the first law No. 1595, was approved on December 16, 1882. In its articles it establishes that games of chance were prohibited, with the exception of lotteries or raffles authorized by the Boards Economics.
In 1909, the lottery began to print its tickets, while in the case of casinos, there are also several that are over 100 years old, such as the Casino Parque Hotel, which was inaugurated in 1909 or the Hotel Carrasco, whose construction ended at the beginning from 1921.
Over the years, the State continued to update the regulations and consolidate a gambling monopoly, which existed from the beginning. For example, in 1946, the Municipal Government of Montevideo was authorized to develop the activity of casinos and the Constitution of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay indicates that within municipal revenues, profits from the operation of casinos are present. .
In addition, in a 1974 Law, the State was authorized to "develop the activity of the casino, either directly under a concession regime or by granting an authorization to a private party." Of course, since previous years the State already had the legal capacity to coordinate and manage the gaming industry.
In the 1990s, there was a strong growth in the industry, mainly since 1997 with the arrival of the first casino in a 5-star hotel, the current Enjoy Punta del Este. In short, it is a gaming industry that has a State monopoly, but that has been consolidated over the years, currently having several game rooms throughout the country.
In the midst of some controversies between private companies and the State, in addition to the fight against illegal gambling, the main pending task in Uruguay is the regulation of online gambling, which has been gaining strength since the end of the year 2000, but is only regulated sports betting through Supermatch.
Characteristics of the gaming industry in Uruguay
In Uruguay there is a monopoly on the part of the State with regard to games of chance. Most of the gambling halls belong to the State or are mixed concessions with private entrepreneurs.
In total, there are 33 establishments that are part of "State Casinos", among which four casinos stand out, Victoria Plaza, Rivera, Nogaró and Piriápolis, as well as 29 gaming rooms. While the casinos Sofitel Montevideo Casino Carrasco and Enjoy Punta del Este are totally private.
The supervision and operation of state casinos depends on the General Directorate of Casinos, while private establishments are directly supervised by the Ministry of Economy, through the Internal Audit Office of the Nation.
A large number of foreign tourists, mainly Brazilians and Argentines, attend casinos in Uruguay, especially tourist cities such as Punta del Este, something that has allowed the consolidation of the sector. For its part, in terms of online gambling, only sports betting is authorized through Supermatch, otherwise there is no regulation, so all online operators that can be played in Uruguay have a foreign license.
It is expected that the current Bill, which is under discussion, can give regulation to online casinos in the country. The General Directorate of Casinos would also be the entity in charge of exploiting, supervising and granting concessions to online operators.
The main legal casinos in Uruguay are found at ChoiceCasino. You can review the opinions and reviews of other players, as well as comment on your own experience to help other punters.
It is not the responsibility of ChoiceCasino, the service of the named legal casinos on the web, nor the review of the players. In the event of any inconvenience or doubt, they should go to the page of the General Directorate of Casinos, where addresses and telephone numbers are obtained to make all kinds of queries or complaints.