Governor Ricardo Rosselló proposes online and live gambling in Puerto Rico

Ricardo Rosselló, the Governor of Puerto Rico, has proposed a bill that would make online and live gambling legal. The bill proposes full suite of gambling is, including esports, fantasy sports and sports betting, both on and offline.

Rosselló said: “Our administration is committed to new and creative ways to improve the lives of all Puerto Ricans, especially as we continue our reconstruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This legislation, made possible by a Supreme Court decision last year, will make Puerto Rico an attractive place to visit, which will greatly benefit our tourism industry.”

He quoted two studies on potential revenues. The first study was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce of Puerto Rico and was prepared by The Innovation Group. The government commissioned the second from the Spectrum Gaming Group.

Focusing on money is everything for Puerto Rico. A debt crisis in 2017 saw the government face a shutdown and unable to fund healthcare. If that was not enough, Hurricane Maria hit in September that year.

Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was badly damaged. Electricity was off for months in some areas and all the territory’s airports only re-opened half a year later.