The Dominican Republic has formally installed Teófilo “Quico” Tabar Manzur as the transitional head of its newly created gambling regulator, moving the country’s regulatory overhaul from legislation into implementation. The Dirección General de Juegos de Azar, or DGJA, will oversee both land-based and online gambling under Law 86-26, which establishes a unified framework for authorisation, supervision and enforcement.
Quico Tabar has been sworn in as transitional director general of the newly created DGJA.
Law 86-26 places land-based and online gambling under a unified regulatory framework.
The DGJA replaces the former Directorate of Casinos and Games of Chance.
The new authority will oversee licensing, compliance, taxation, consumer protection and financial crime controls.
Operators should now monitor implementing rules, procedures, and transition requirements as the new regulator becomes operational.
Finance and Economy Minister Magín Díaz formally swore Tabar into office after his appointment under Decree 684-26. The Dominican Presidency’s official announcement confirms that Tabar will hold the role on a transitional basis while continuing as administrator of the National Lottery and coordinator of the gambling-shop regularisation process.
The appointment follows the publication of Law 86-26 in Official Gazette 11263 on 2 October. The legislation creates the DGJA as an autonomous and decentralised body attached to the Ministry of Finance and Economy, replacing the former Directorate of Casinos and Games of Chance.
The move completes the next stage of a process previously covered when the Dominican Republic Senate advanced the unified gambling bill. At that point, the framework was still moving through the legislative process. The focus has now shifted towards building the institutional structure needed to administer the new regime.
During the swearing-in, Díaz highlighted the need for stronger institutional management and gambling supervision. Translated from Spanish, Díaz said:
We must continue strengthening institutional management and the mechanisms for regulation and supervision.
The new framework covers the regulation, authorisation, inspection and supervision of both physical and online gambling. Its objectives include establishing clearer rules for operators, protecting minors and other consumers, strengthening measures against fraud and money laundering and ensuring tax obligations are met.
For operators, Tabar’s appointment therefore extends beyond a leadership change. The DGJA is becoming the central point of regulatory accountability as businesses adapt to the new regime.
The government has also retained an advisory structure during the transition. Under Decree 684-26, the existing Consultative Council will support the DGJA in developing policies and improving internal procedures. Public authorities have also been instructed to cooperate with the regulator as it assumes its new responsibilities.
The implementation phase will be particularly important for online operators and suppliers assessing the Dominican market. Licensing processes, technical requirements, reporting obligations, payment controls and enforcement procedures will determine how the statutory framework translates into day-to-day compliance.
The Dominican Republic’s restructuring also fits into a broader period of regulatory development across Caribbean and Latin American markets. Trinidad and Tobago recently approved a new framework for licensed remote gambling, shifting focus to the licensing and technical infrastructure required for implementation.
Elsewhere in the region, Mexico’s proposed gambling reform is approaching government review as authorities consider a wider overhaul of the country’s existing framework.
For B2B stakeholders, the Dominican Republic has moved beyond debating whether to consolidate its gambling structure. The immediate question is how the DGJA will translate Law 86-26 into licensing, supervision and enforcement practice. Operators, suppliers and compliance teams considering the market will therefore need to follow the regulator’s next procedural and technical steps closely.
