Gambling Laws in Nicaragua
Gambling in Nicaragua is legal in all of its variety. Within the
Nicaraguan gambling legislation, the
Casino Control Act from 2015 (Ley Especial Para El Control y Regulacion de Casinos y Salas de Juegos de Azar 2015) and its amendments, are considered to be the main regulatory acts of all gambling activities in the country. According to these acts all forms of land-based gambling are legal in Nicaragua. Online gambling is however not regulated.
The regulatory body of the land-based activities in the country is the Office for Casinos and Gaming facilities (Oficina de Casinos y Salas de Juegos) within the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (El Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público). The legal functioning of the online gambling sector is also supervised by the unit of the same institution. According to
Nicaraguan gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Nicaragua?
No, it is not regulated. |
Online Casinos in Nicaragua
There are 16 licensed land-based casino operators in Nicaragua, as of August 2018, the most widely visited being the Pharaoh’s Casino in Masaya. However, none of them has launched, so far, an
online casino in Nicaragua. Most of the online poker sites that Nicaraguans play are those of the bigger foreign
internet casino sites which are however freely accessible from the country.
Online Poker in Nicaragua
Poker in Nicaragua is legal and highly popular. All of the casinos in the country offer poker tables, the most widely visited being those in the Pharaoh’s Casino in Masaya. This casino has 4 specialized poker tables, one of which always offers Texas Hold Em. Concerning online poker, there are no specific
Nicaraguan online poker laws, but the general regulations apply and online poker is also considered to be legal in the country. Yet, there are no
online poker sites in Nicaragua, licensed within the domestic jurisdiction to operate the market in the country. Most of the online poker sites that Nicaraguans play are those of the bigger foreign websites which are however freely accessible from the country.
Online Lottery in Nicaragua
The Nicaraguan gambling sector is highly monopolized, with the central role being played by the Nicaraguan lottery. The origins of the lottery date back to 1995, when it was meant to be a replacement for the Loteria Popular para la Salud y Bienestar Social which was banned in 1979 due to the restrictive
Nicaraguan lottery laws. The lottery, nowadays, organizes a variety of lotto games such as Diaria Loto, Super Combo Loto, La Grande Loto, Terminacion Loto 2. Diaria Loto and Super Combo have draws every day of the week while La Grande Loto and Terminacion Loto 2, two and one draw per week respectively. However, none of the games can be played online as
online lottery in Nicaragua is still not developed. There are also no possibilities for selling lotto tickets online. In lack of online lotto from the country, lotto lovers from Nicaragua are rather advised to visit the foreign online lotto sites, most of which are freely accessible from the country.
Online Bingo in Nicaragua
There are no specific
Nicaraguan online bingo laws. Therefore, general regulations regarding online games of chance in Nicaragua apply and online bingo is considered to be legal in the country. However, as of August 2018, there are no specialized sites for
online bingo in Nicaragua. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, can easily be accessed from the country.
Online Sports Betting in Nicaragua
There are no specialized Nicaraguan sports betting operators in the country registered as such under Nicaraguan gambling laws. Citizens that want to bet on sports in this Central American country in a land-based sportsbook have to visit some of the casinos which also have betting sections. There are also no specialized
online sportsbook sites in Nicaragua either. Sports betting fans from Nicaragua are thus rather advised to visit the foreign
internet sportsbook sites which are all freely available from Nicaragua.
Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Nicaragua
Online DFS sites in Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua.
