The government of the Dominican Republic has been urged to establish a new gambling regulator, run independently from government agencies.

The proposal has been led by Ricardo Nadal, the President of The National Association of Sports Banks – who has called for a complete overhaul of the Republic’s existing gambling laws.

The regulatory oversight of the gambling sector has come under scrutiny as last year the operating firm of the National Lottery was found to have falsified $8.5 million in ticket sales.

The embarrassing affair saw the government order a review of the Republic’s ‘lottery bank network’ – state-licensed venues/shops that are allowed to sell lottery and instant game products.