Paraguay weighs a new gambling regulator and 26 online licences
Paraguay's executive sent the Senate a bill on 12 October to replace the gambling commission Conajzar with a more independent regulator, Dinajzar. Reports say it would tender 26 online licences, add blocking powers and require promoters, including influencers, to register.
South African regulators and lawmakers face the same questions: how to tackle unlicensed online casinos, whether to license operators, and how to control influencer promotion. Paraguay is a different market, so none of this applies here, but its proposed tools (site blocking, a promoter register, a central self-exclusion list) are the kind that could appear in future South African debate.
What the bill proposes
Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color reported on 26 October that the executive sent a bill to the Senate on 12 October. It would abolish the National Gambling Commission (Conajzar) and create a National Directorate of Gambling (Dinajzar) with budget and functional autonomy. The bill would repeal laws 1.016 and 7.438/25.
Trade outlet NEXT.io reported on 29 October that several Senate committees met on 26 October and that lawmakers aim to produce a firmer version of the text within 15 days. No date for a full vote has been announced.
Licences, fees and penalties
According to ABC Color, the bill provides for 26 online gambling licences to be tendered by the regulator. Existing provisional online permits run until January 2028, so current holders would have time to take part in the tender.
Conajzar president Carlos Liseras said the proposed minimum fee is PYG 12 million plus 7 per cent of net win, though he said the figure would be studied again. The bill would also make clandestine gambling a criminal offence with sentences of up to five years.
Blocking powers and the promoter register
Former Conajzar head Javier Balbuena told NEXT.io the new regulator could order telecoms firms and financial institutions to block illegal sites, apps and payment gateways. ABC Color reports that anyone promoting gambling, including influencers and media outlets, would have to register with the regulator or face prosecution for clandestine operation.
NEXT.io adds that the bill looks at deposit limits, monitoring of harmful play and a central self-exclusion register. Senator Luis Pettengill said Conajzar has only 12 officials covering the whole country.
What it means for South African players
Paraguay is not an SA-facing story, and no South African law changes. It does show a pattern: regulators are moving from simply licensing operators towards controlling payments, advertising and promoters.
- Licence status abroad says nothing about whether a casino is licensed in South Africa.
- Promotion by influencers is not proof that an operator is trustworthy.
What to watch next
Watch for the revised Senate text, the disputes over licence length (five years versus up to ten) and revenue sharing, and whether the final fee and tax figures change.