Zona de Azar Paraguay – Paraguay: APOJA Demands Explanations from the Chamber of Deputies Regarding Regulation

Paraguay.- August 15, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay must explain why it has “shelved the plans” to review the proposed amendments aimed at revising the country’s gaming regulations.

This comes after lobbying efforts by APOJA, the Paraguayan Association of Gaming, which insists that stakeholders deserve an update on whether the articles aimed at reforming the gaming regime have been abandoned.

At the end of 2023, APOJA secured ministerial support to present six articles that amend the Paraguayan Gaming Law, including provisions to end monopoly rights over gaming activities.

This support was largely in response to a controversial sports betting tender managed by Conajzar, the National Gaming Commission of Paraguay, which was accused of abusing its authority by launching a tender for a national sports betting franchise without proper consultation or a precise competitive framework.

The tender was awarded to Daruma SAM, operator of the Aposta.LA betting houses in Asunción, but was immediately postponed because Conajzar was investigated by Paraguay’s competition authority, CONACOM.

As a result, APOJA initiated efforts to amend Paraguay’s gaming laws, urging the newly elected government of Santiago Peña to reform Conajzar and eliminate monopoly gaming concessions.

APOJA’s proposed amendments aim to transform Conajzar into a purely supervisory agency with no licensing functions. The government has been encouraged to follow the examples of other South American countries, such as Colombia and Peru, by ending monopoly concessions and promoting a liberalized market to increase tax revenues for social projects. APOJA’s president, Lorena Rojas, emphasized the urgency of reforming regulations before the current contract expires to avoid renewal under the same conditions.

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com