As it re-regulates its market, the Dominican Republic has blacklisted 41 major operators. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

The Dominican Republic is preparing to re-regulate its market, and it has just blacklisted a number of major gambling operators as part of that process.

Among the 41 blacklisted operators are 888Sport, William Hill, Bet365, Betsson, Interwetten, Betfair Colombia, and Mr Green Casino. They are all barred from offering their services in the country as it prepares to roll out new gambling legislation.

Lawmakers signed off on the legislation in March this year

Resolution 136-2024 provides a new regulated framework for online gambling in the country. Lawmakers signed off on the legislation in March this year. It puts the Direccion de Casinos y Juegos de Azar (DCJA) in charge of overseeing the regulation and issuing licenses to new online casinos and lotteries.

The Resolution includes Law 155-17 – “Against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism.” It means that any company that does not hold a Dominican license is unable to operate in the country.

In announcing the blacklisted companies, DCJA said: “We emphasize the importance of playing and betting responsibly and legally to guarantee a safe and fair experience. Therefore, we recommend always verifying the operator’s authorization through official channels and avoiding participating in unregulated activities.”

The Republic initially regulated online gambling in 2006 before issuing its first license to Amaya, PokerStars’ former owner. Amaya was the only company officially licensed by the country under its previous regulation, and PokerStars now appears on the DCJA’s blacklist.