Online gambling regulation in Uruguay
Dirección Nacional de Loterías y Quinielas (DNLQ), Ministry of Economy and Finance. State monopoly model. Checked 2026-09-21.
- Advertising unlicensed gambling banned
- Yes
- Public licence register
- No
- Online casino
- Prohibited
- Online sports betting
- Monopoly
Casino, sports betting, poker and more
Casino and poker are treated much more strictly: remote casino/gaming-hall games are prohibited, while online sports betting is allowed only through state-authorised channels such as Supermatch. Poker has no standalone online licence.
| Product | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Online casino | Prohibited | — |
| Online sports betting | Monopoly | — |
| Online poker | Prohibited | Prohibited for real-money online play; Law 19.535/Article 244 bans remote casino/gaming-hall games, including online poker. |
| Sweepstakes and social casinos | Not confirmed | Unclear; no source specifically addresses sweepstakes/social casinos. If they involve wagering or prize-play online casino mechanics, they may be captured by the online-gambling ban, but this is unconfirmed. |
| Prediction markets | Not confirmed | Unclear; the provided sources do not address event/prediction markets. If treated as betting, they may fall under the online-gambling ban, but this is unconfirmed. |
| Mystery boxes | Not confirmed | Uruguay’s Law No. 19.535 (2017) bans unauthorized online gambling, but I found no source addressing mystery boxes or loot boxes specifically. |
Advertising unlicensed gambling in Uruguay
Prohibited. Ley Nº 19.535 Art. 244 and Decreto Nº 366/017, which ban commercial communications, sponsorship and advertising for unauthorised online gambling services and operators.
Advertising, sponsorship or promotion of unlicensed/unauthorised online gambling, including offshore sports betting and casino games, is expressly prohibited and subject to preventive and sanctioning measures.
Regulator and law
Dirección Nacional de Loterías y Quinielas (DNLQ), Ministry of Economy and Finance — www.loteria.gub.uy
Ley Nº 19.535, Artículo 244 and Decreto Nº 366/017 on online gambling illegality and enforcement.
Online casino: Prohibited. Online sports betting: Monopoly.
Checking a licence
There is no public register of licensed operators. No dedicated online public register of licensed gambling operators; DNLQ communicates authorisations and notices via its official site but not as a structured licence list.
How the black market is fought
- ISP/domain blocking of unlicensed gambling sites
- Payment blocking by electronic payment issuers for illegal gambling transactions
- Prohibition of commercial communications, sponsorship and advertising for unauthorised online gambling
- Administrative and sanctioning powers exercised by DNLQ against unlawful online gambling activities
Advertising rules for licensed operators
- Advertising and sponsorship allowed only for officially authorised products such as Supermatch and other DNLQ‑approved games
- Prohibition on promoting offshore or unauthorised gambling operators or their brands in any form of commercial communication
- Restrictions on sports event sponsorship and promotional activities by operators lacking DNLQ or Executive authorisation
- Mandatory responsible‑gambling messaging and protection of vulnerable groups under Resolution No. 015/2026
Recent developments
- Resolution No. 015/2026 issued by DNLQ, setting mandatory guidelines for international online gambling and sports‑betting concessionaires
- 2025–2026 DNLQ communications reiterating absolute prohibition of online casino games and clarification of authorised online sports betting via Supermatch
- Ongoing policy debate on state monopoly and potential future regulation of online casino games, referenced in recent legislative and industry commentary
Questions
Is it illegal to advertise unlicensed gambling in Uruguay?
Yes. Ley Nº 19.535 Art. 244 and Decreto Nº 366/017, which ban commercial communications, sponsorship and advertising for unauthorised online gambling services and operators. Advertising, sponsorship or promotion of unlicensed/unauthorised online gambling, including offshore sports betting and casino games, is expressly prohibited and subject to preventive and sanctioning measures.
Who regulates online gambling in Uruguay?
Dirección Nacional de Loterías y Quinielas (DNLQ), Ministry of Economy and Finance. The main law is Ley Nº 19.535, Artículo 244 and Decreto Nº 366/017 on online gambling illegality and enforcement..
How can I check whether a gambling operator is licensed in Uruguay?
No dedicated online public register of licensed gambling operators; DNLQ communicates authorisations and notices via its official site but not as a structured licence list.
What we could not confirm
- Exact article numbers for advertising prohibitions in Decreto Nº 366/017 beyond the general ban on promotion, sponsorship and advertising of unauthorised online gambling
- Whether DNLQ maintains any non‑public internal register of authorised online operators separate from public communications
- Full scope of Resolution No. 015/2026 obligations on marketing content and channel‑specific restrictions for concessionaires
- Whether Uruguay expressly regulates or bans sweepstakes/social casino dual-currency models.
- Whether prediction markets are supervised as gambling, securities, or unregulated contracts in Uruguay.
- Whether loot boxes/mystery boxes are specifically addressed under consumer, gaming, or gambling law.
- Whether any private online poker or casino authorisations exist beyond the state-led sports-betting exception.
Sources
- gamblingmaps.org/map/regulations/uruguay
- igaming-times.com/countries/uruguay
- advennt.io/jurisdictions/uruguay/
- impo.com.uy/bases/decretos/366-2017/1
- igaming.bet/en/proveedores/licenses/uruguay/dnlq-dgc-uruguay-monopolio-estatal-casino-online-en-debate-legislativo
- softswiss.com/gambling-regulation-map/uruguay/
- gamblingmaps.org/map/regulations/uruguay/for-operators
- igamingtoday.com/uruguays-gambling-regulation/
- es.worldpokerdeals.com/blog/como-y-donde-jugar-poker-en-linea-desde-uruguay
- reviewed-casinos.com/news/online-gambling-banned-uruguay/
- sigma.world/news/uruguay-online-betting-regulation/
- igamingtoday.com/uruguay-sets-new-requirements-for-online-gambling-platforms-to-strengthen-responsible-gaming-controls/
- informar.g3newswire.com/uruguay-tightens-online-gambling-requirements-to-protect-players/
- soloazar.com/en/category/sportsbook/cibelae-explains-how-uruguay-tightens-online-betting-controls-ahead-of-fifa-world-cup-2026
Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.