A Brief Guide to Gambling Regulations in South America

Latin America has one of the largest gambling markets in the world with over 300 million people involved in this way of entertainment. Despite the great popularity of online casinos and betting on this continent, not all countries have developed online gambling regulations or allow players to enjoy the fun of casino games legally. Therefore, it is important to learn if players can have legal access to them based on the country of their location. Look through a brief guide to gambling laws in the largest countries of South America.

Argentina

There isn’t one federal law to regulate gambling in Argentina, but each province of the country has legalized gambling within their jurisdictions according to a Decree by the Supreme Court from 31 May 1999. Only 16 provinces out of 23 have legalized all forms of online gambling, and players can officially play only in the online casinos licensed by the province. 

Colombia

Colombia can boast a fully regulated online casino industry. There is the iGaming Act passed in October 2016 and a licensing commission called the El Consejo Nacional de Juegos de Suerte y Azar or Coljuegos approved by the government. The industry encompasses all games of luck, poker, and sports betting. 

Brazil

Despite being the largest and most populated country on the continent Brazil has not provided its citizens with gambling possibilities. There has been a ban on all gambling activities for over 70 years already. However, the first steps towards the legalization of gambling have already been made too since the law 13,756 adopted in 2018 created the fixed-odds sports betting lottery method.

Chile

Gambling has been legal in Chile since 2005, but this law does not regulate online casinos in any way. There are no licensed online casinos in the country, so playing online is considered illegal. However, the government announced plans to legalize online gambling in 2021 too.

Mexico

Players are permitted to participate in gambling activities in Mexico due to the Federal Games and Draws Law (Gaming Law) that has gone into effect since 5 January 1948. However, there is no specific legal definition of online gambling in the country, but there are numerous plans to add this question to the new gaming legal framework.

Ecuador

Gambling was recognized as illegal back in 2011due to the efforts of president Rafael Correa. However, when it comes to Internet wagers and betting, it is not regulated in Ecuador. It means that local players can access international gambling sites and enjoy casino games without being prosecuted for this exciting activity.

Bolivia

Despite a long-term ban on gambling that ended only in 1996, currently, the government has loosened some prohibitions. Gambling was legalized and the Gaming Board was created, but only one terrestrial casino operates in the country at the moment. Online gambling is not regulated in Bolivia yet, but the pandemic encouraged the authorities to start the legalization process. 

Peru

One of the few countries where gambling is regulated on the federal level is Peru. The regulation of gambling was introduced in 1979 with the enactment of Decree-Law No. 22515 into law. In 2008, the country began to issue gaming licenses as well and created the DGJCMT, a body to oversee gambling operators arriving in the country. It is absolutely legal to join licensed online casinos in Peru and play all their diversity of games without limits!

Venezuela

Gambling is legal in Venezuela, but the industry is strictly regulated by the government. The country began to issue licenses to gaming operators in 2012 and only a couple of them have received them. At the same time, players can easily access platforms owned by foreign operators since there are no direct restrictions for that.

Guyana

Having been a friendly to gambling country Guyana has a law that dates back to 1902 and is called the Gambling Prevention Act nowadays. It has been amended multiple times and the most recent changes prohibited locals to gamble in the casinos since they operate for tourists only. However, there is no official prohibition to book a room in the hotel and visit a casino as well as access an online platform and entertain yourself there.

Paraguay

The country has been ruled by military dictators for many years, but in 1997, Law No. 1016 was passed to spur economic growth in the country. It led to the creation of CONAJZAR or the National Commission on Games of Chance, but there is no licensing process for online casinos in the country. Consequently, despite being an illegal activity, online gambling is widely practiced in the country and players are free to access web casinos.

Suriname

Land-based gambling is legal and regulated in the country. There are licensed operators that offer both online and offline gambling experience to players, and this is an absolutely legal experience for players who can enjoy gambling anytime and anywhere.

Conclusion

It seems clear from the written piece that all countries of Latin America can be divided into three main groups: ones that have already made online gambling legal, states that plan to regulate online gambling at the office level and undertake steps in this direction, and countries where online gambling is considered illegal but still not prosecuted by law. It means that gamblers of South America can get pleasure from gambling almost anytime and find the most trusted online casinos in Latin America at HEX Casino. Therefore, they should not lose an opportunity to entertain legally. Players can choose the best gambling destinations operating in the countries of Latin America and check the list of restricted ones as well as find legitimate online casinos with a minimum of effort.