Gambling Laws in Costa Rica

Gambling in Costa Rica is legal under the Law for regulation of Betting, Casinos and Games of Chance from 2010 (Ley de regulacion de apuestas, de casinos y de juegos de azar) and its amendments, in all its variety. Article 2 of the law contains precise definitions of the forms of gambling regulated in the country such as casino games, table games, bingo, lotto, betting etc. including all forms of legal online gambling in Costa Rica.  The body responsible for the regulation of the gambling activities in the country is a special office working under the Ministry of Governing and Police (Ministerio de Gobernación y Policía). According to Costa Rican gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Costa Rica? Yes, all forms of online gambling are legal in Costa Rica.

Online Casinos in Costa Rica

There are various licensed online casinos in Costa Rica, as of February 2019. The 5 Dimes casino and online casino, holder of a Costa Rican online casino license, is one of the most popular online casino spots in the country. In the casino rooms they offer, one can choose to play a variety of games belonging to several categories: slot games, roulette, table games as well as video poker. Sites licensed from other countries are also accessible from Costa Rica. 

Online Poker in Costa Rica

Poker in Costa Rica is a very popular pastime, with most of the casinos regularly offering attractive poker tournaments. Thus, the World Poker Showdown in 2008 was held in Costa Rica in one of the most elegant casinos on the coastline at the Hotel Amapola Jaco Beach. Regarding online poker, however, there are no specific Costa Rican online poker laws. There are also no specialized, licensed, online poker sites in Costa Rica, as of February 2019. However, online poker can still be played on some of the foreign online casino sites which can be accessed from the country.

Online lottery in Costa Rica

The body that is responsible for the organization of the varieties of lotto games in Costa Rica is the Junta de Proteccion Social. Although there are no special land-based lottery nor online lottery laws in Costa Rica, the Junta de Proteccion Social in compliance with the general gambling laws organizes the most popular lotto game in the country called Loteria Nacional as well as other games such as Lotto, NuevosTiempos and Pitazo. The Junta is not only active in organizing the Costa Rican lottery games but also in providing social aid for disadvantaged categories of citizens. They are active on the major social network such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, posting regularly the results from the draws as well as videos from their humanitarian actions. However, online lottery in Costa Rica is still not an option for the residents of this Caribbean country, at least not in the form organized so far by the Junta de Proteccion Social. For playing online lotto games, Costa Rican lotto fans are rather advised to visit foreign online lotto sites, most of which are freely accessible from the country.

Online bingo in Costa Rica

There are no specific Costa Rican online bingo laws. Although online bingo in Costa Rica is legal, no operator has so far been licensed to provide online bingo services on the Costa Rican market. Thus, as of February 2019, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Costa Rica. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, can easily be accessed from the country.

Online sports betting in Costa Rica

Online sportsbook sites in Costa Rica are legal and highly popular. Under Costa Rican gambling laws there are several big sportsbooks licensed which include: betUS, Sportsbook.ag, 5Dimes, and others mainly oriented towards providing services for the US costumers. However, many consider the country to be a paradise for illegal sports betting, providing more than 500 sportsbooks that illegally operate from Costa Rica to the international betting market. Foreign internet sportsbook sites are not being blocked by the authorities from accessing the Costa Rican betting market.

Online daily fantasy sports in Costa Rica

Online DFS sites in Costa Rica do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Costa Rica.