What happened
On March 19 the National Assembly approved in third debate Bill 403, a measure presented by PRD deputy Raúl Pineda together with fellow PRD deputy Crispiano Adames to regulate and prevent gambling addiction (ludopatía). The bill establishes new sanctions for digital operators, creates a fund for treatment, and grants the gambling regulator powers to suspend licenses and order platform blocks.
Background and past controversies
Pineda’s new role as a promoter of prevention contrasts with his actions three years earlier, when he supported the expansion of gambling operations while serving as the Assembly’s representative on the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ). In 2023 the JCJ issued a resolution that allowed the continued operation of 12 additional slot-machine rooms tied to Gaming & Services (commercially Fantastic Casino) despite an August 16, 2023 ruling by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court that declared an addendum to their contract illegal.
Resolution No. 51 of 2023, adopted by the JCJ on November 23, 2023, was signed by Pineda (representing the Assembly), Jorge Luis Almengor and Gerardo Solís. Critics at the time, including Rigoberto González, said the action amounted to contempt for the court ruling.
Key measures in Bill 403
The bill creates a sanctions framework for digital gambling operators not covered by Panamanian law, with fines from $25,000 to $100,000 that can double for repeat offenses. It empowers the JCJ to suspend or revoke licenses and to order the blocking of platforms. Telecommunications companies and internet providers would be required to comply immediately with blocking orders or face penalties ranging from $300,000 to $1 million per infringement, and could be held jointly liable.
Alongside punitive measures, the bill establishes a fund to address gambling addiction administered by the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the benefit of the Institute of Mental Health. The fund would be financed with 0.5% of the contributions that gambling operators pay into the national treasury.
Reactions and concerns
The proposal has drawn criticism from legal and industry figures. Attorney Herbert Young warned that the new 0.5% contribution adds pressure to an industry already subject to multiple taxes and levies. Deputy Lenin Ulate, who worked 15 years in the gambling industry, said the sector is already highly regulated and raised concerns about legal inconsistencies in the proposed sanctions and gaps in the bill’s drafting.
Questions about Pineda’s impartiality resurfaced given his prior role on the JCJ and family business links: Servicios Múltiples Rama, S.A., associated with Abraham Rico Pineda (the deputy’s son, who has been detained and charged in connection with Operation Jericó), listed major operators among its clients. The sector remains economically significant: estimates cited in reporting put annual wagering at about $3 billion and more than a hundred authorized gaming halls nationwide.
What this means
Bill 403 signals a tougher regulatory approach to online gambling and a move to fund treatment for addiction, but it also revives scrutiny of past regulatory decisions and raises legal and fiscal questions about enforcement, industry burden and the role of officials who previously supported sector expansion.