TLDR Chile’s tax authority (SII) created a mechanism requiring foreign online betting platforms to register and pay taxes, even though they operate illegally in Chile. The Supreme Court of Chile has ruled these platforms lack legal permission to operate. SII director Jorge Trujillo argues tax collection does not equal endorsement of illegal activity. Senators and lawmakers say the policy effectively legitimizes illegal gambling operations. The Senate’s Economy Committee will hold further meetings and hear from additional authorities.
Chile’s Internal Revenue Service (SII) is at the center of a growing legal debate after ordering foreign online betting platforms to register and pay taxes, despite those platforms being ruled illegal by the country’s Supreme Court.
SII director Jorge Trujillo defended the move before the Senate’s Economy Committee on June 12, 2026. He said the agency’s goal is simply to collect taxes owed, not to approve or legitimize the activity.
“Online betting companies are a clear activity that has attracted the attention of the SII,” Trujillo said. “We verified that these operations are taking place and we have created a specific mechanism for collecting taxes.”
The resolution in question is Resolution No. 69. It allows foreign betting platforms to meet their tax obligations under Chilean law, even while operating without legal authorization.
Trujillo’s position is straightforward: if a company is earning money from Chilean citizens, it owes taxes to the Chilean state, regardless of the legal status of the underlying activity.
Lawmakers Push Back Hard
Not everyone agrees with that reasoning. Senator Gastón Saavedra, who chairs the Economy Committee, invited Trujillo to explain the decision and its potential consequences for regulation.
Saavedra argues the policy sends a confusing message. “We consider this as a legalization of an activity that is illegal,” he said.
Congressman Diego Ibáñez went further, comparing the