The geographical expansion and increasing complexity of extractive production imply that the effect of mining linkages on economic development is unevenly felt inter- and intra-nationally. This article uses the linkages-based approach to understand from a multi-scalar perspective the uneven development patterns that could arise within a country related to the mining activity. For this purpose, we analyze the strength and potential quality of the mining linkages in the Chilean regions using information from input-output tables between 1995 and 2011 and a sample of almost 4000 mining services suppliers. Results show that the potential for high quality win-win mining linkages in the Chilean mining regions is very weak something that strongly constrains their possibility of achieving sustainable forms economic development.