Chile Files Lawsuit Against Betsson, Betano, 1xBet and 8 Other iGaming Operators

Chile’s state lottery, Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, has filed a criminal complaint against 11 offshore iGaming operators, accusing them of offering gambling services in the country without the required authorisation and raising concerns over possible money laundering and organised criminal activity.

The complaint was submitted to a Santiago court on August 20 and was accepted for consideration the following day. The allegations will now be examined by Chile’s public prosecutor’s office, which is responsible for determining whether further investigation is warranted.

Which operators are named in the complaint?

The filing names:

• Estelar Bet

• Coolbet

• Betsson

• Betano

• Jugabet

• 1xBet

• Micasino

• Rojabet

• Novibet

• LatamWin

• Juega en Línea

Polla claims these companies have gone beyond simply making international gambling websites accessible to people in Chile. According to the state lottery, the operators have actively targeted the local market by allowing Chilean customers to open accounts, use payment methods available in the country and withdraw their funds.

The complaint also points to marketing activity and commercial agreements involving Chilean sports organisations as evidence that the operators were deliberately seeking local customers.

Polla asks prosecutors to trace the money

A major part of the complaint concerns the financial flows connected with these gambling operations.

Polla is asking investigators to determine where the money generated by Chilean customers originates, how it moves through the financial system and who ultimately receives it. The requested investigation could include bank accounts, beneficial owners and the way gambling revenues are distributed.

The lottery argues that examining these transactions is necessary to establish whether the funds could have been used to conceal their original source.

Industry group recalls an earlier case

The latest complaint has drawn criticism from APAL, an industry association representing online gambling operators. The group claims that Polla’s filing largely repeats allegations made in a similar complaint in 2023.

That earlier investigation reportedly resulted in more than 2,000 pages of documentation and required over 40 investigative measures. However, prosecutors decided in April 2025 not to pursue the case further.

The new proceedings come amid a broader dispute over the status of offshore gambling in Chile. The country’s tax authority has required foreign gambling operators to pay 19% VAT and expects the measure to generate more than $100 million annually.

However, Chilean authorities have stressed that paying taxes does not itself make an operator legal. Polla’s latest complaint now puts the financial activity of these companies under renewed scrutiny.