Chilean Supreme Court Upholds Sanction Against Casino Dreams Iquique

The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Chile has confirmed a ruling issued by the Iquique Court of Appeals in November 2024, ratifying a sanction imposed by the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) against Casino Dreams Iquique.

In its decision, the supreme court rejected the appeal from Casino de Juegos de Iquique, a subsidiary of Dreams, against the UAF’s sanction. The UAF had accused the casino of violating regulations related to “the minimum content that training programs for workers in the prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing must include.”

As a result, the casino operator must accept a written warning and pay a fine of 50 Unidades de Fomento, which currently amounts to CLP 1,958,100 or USD 2,073.

Dreams had originally contested the sanction, arguing that it had indeed provided the required training and that “the UAF reached an erroneous conclusion by relying on an incomplete review of the submitted information.”

However, the Iquique Court of Appeals rejected the appeal, concluding that there was no illegality in the UAF’s actions and that “the sanctioning procedure was processed in accordance with the law, respecting the procedural guarantees of the sanctioned company, which had the opportunity to present arguments and offer evidence.”

Similarly, the Supreme Court ruled that “the UAF acted within the legal powers conferred upon it, […] in monitoring compliance with general instructions.” “As an obligated entity, the appealing company has the duty to provide all the necessary information to verify compliance with these instructions,” they explained.