That’s when the special Casino Law dropped, laying out the rules of the game and giving the green light to land-based operations. Interestingly, the full-fledged legal framework for land-based casinos was only hammered out in 2005. Then came Law 19,995, and the casino scene exploded to 24 joints. So, in the first half of the 20th century, seven local permits were issued for casinos in cities like Arica, Iquique, Coquimbo, Viña del Mar, Pucón, Puerto Varas, and Puerto Natales. This led to a patchwork of laws across provinces. So, towns and cities were calling the shots and setting their own rules. Here’s the kicker: for the longest time, casinos were freestyling, with no federal regulations in place. The very first casino popped up in Viña del Mar in 1931. At first, the whole shebang was a state monopoly, so private companies didn’t even get a look-in. This bad boy laid down the law on horse race betting which was all going down at special racetracks. The first big law to hit the scene was back in 1902, the Law No.
We’re talking way back to the mid-19th century. Gambling in Chile ain’t no new kid on the block.
