The Dominican government has initiated a groundbreaking regulatory move targeting the cruise tourism sector by introducing comprehensive licensing requirements for vessel-based casinos. The Ministry of Finance and Economy has unveiled a draft resolution mandating that first-class cruise ships featuring gambling facilities must obtain official authorization to operate within Dominican territorial waters for durations exceeding six hours.
This pioneering regulatory framework comes in response to the substantial growth in cruise tourism, with official statistics revealing 788 cruise vessels transporting over 2.8 million passengers visited the Caribbean nation in 2025. The proposed legislation specifically addresses vessels with passenger capacities exceeding 2,000 individuals, subjecting them to identical regulatory standards applied to land-based casinos in premium hotels. The initiative primarily aims to combat potential financial crimes, including money laundering operations and terrorist financing activities that could originate from maritime gambling establishments.
Under the proposed regulatory structure, cruise ship casino operators must secure licenses through the Directorate of Casinos and Gambling, supported by a substantial performance bond equivalent to RD$20 million. The licensing fee structure operates on a tiered system: vessels accommodating 2,000-3,499 passengers face a RD$1 million fee, while those with 3,500+ passenger capacity require RD$1.5 million. Each license permits exclusively one gaming facility per vessel, remains non-transferable between operators, and maintains validity for five-year terms. License renewal costs are established at 50% of the original fee amount.
Supplementary operational provisions include annual fees ranging from RD$600,000 to RD$800,000, determined by the quantity of active gaming tables. The regulation further restricts vessels to 15 annual entries into Dominican waters, imposing an additional RD$15,000 charge for each extra entry. All financial obligations will be directed to the National Treasury, with annual adjustments reflecting Consumer Price Index fluctuations. The draft resolution currently remains open for public consultation, inviting stakeholder feedback before final implementation.