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Are the best online casinos in Panama safe to play at? Why does Panama have such a bad rap in the online casino world? Which internet casinos accept players from Panama?
These common questions show how controversial Panama's gambling market is. This tax haven and former casino paradise remains controversial to date.
Demystify Panama's gambling laws and learn how to navigate its casino market below.
Table of contents In following our multifaceted review process, these brands scored highest:
Gambling is LEGAL in Panama. In 1997, private companies entered the gambling market.
Yes, online gambling has been LEGAL in Panama since 2002.
Relevant legislation: 2002 Online Gambling Act |
Panama's bad name makes financial institutions reluctant to work with the local casinos. As a consequence, there are fewer and fewer online gambling operators.
Learn more about online casino regulation here.
Online casinos that have licenses from Panama DON'T ACCEPT players from Panama.
The local internet casinos are exempted from taxation.
Yes, it is, but there's more. In fact, that's the only way you can play in online casinos from Panama. The local online gambling platforms DON'T accept players from Panama at all.
Yes, they can. Laws apply to citizens or legal permanent residents. Anybody else is free to play at Panama online casinos.
The Gaming Commission is a Ministry of Economy's branch that regulates gambling in Panama.
They oversee casinos and issue licenses with special care for money laundering.
The full name of the body is Executive Secretary Gaming Board (Secretaria Ejecutiva Junta de Control de Juegos).
Legal Basis: Decree Law No. 2 of February 10, 1998; Law No. 23 of April 1, 2000; Ruling of May 4, 2006 by the Supreme Court of Justice; Law No. 49 of 2009. |
There are two types of casino permits in Panama:
Getting a local online casino license in Panama is rather easy. Auditing is not particularly strict. Players are not really protected, either, and there's a lack of enforcement.
Pretty much everyone paying the licensing fee has a good chance of getting one. Hence Panama's bad rap.
In this sense, a Panama license doesn't warrant safety. Instead, locals should choose from a sea of casinos that accept players from Panama.
Land-based casino licenses are an entirely different story. The rules for getting them here are much stricter, and the same goes for monitoring. First, the Tourist Board of Panama must okay a casino, and their regulations are stringent.
The Gaming Commission issues both types of casino licenses in Panama. Online casino licenses are valid for seven years.
Not necessarily. Online Casinos licensed in Panama may be UNSAFE to play at due to the lenient licensing policy.
Instead of trusting Panama licenses, look for the seals of international auditors, like:
Stay clear of Panamanian online casinos. Keep in mind that Panama is not whitelisted by the reputable authority UK Gambling Commission.
Players have to be 18 years old to gamble in Panama.
As a matter of fact, online operators don't pay taxes in Panama. There are fixed costs to bear only. So what's the catch? The trade-off here is the Panama-licensed online casinos CAN'T ACCEPT players from Panama.
Land-based casinos pay a comprehensive tax, including but not limited to 10% of net revenue.
Not anymore. At least not since 2019. There used to be a 5.5% tax on gambling winnings.
Cryptocurrency gambling in Panama is UNREGULATED.
Since Panama-licensed online casinos accept Bitcoin, crypto gambling seems to be LEGAL.
Many offshore crypto casinos accept players from Panama, too.
Be cautious when using cryptocurrencies, though. Depending on the casino, you might not be able to claim bonuses when using Bitcoin or other digital currencies.
The mainstream payment methods are available to players from Panama. There are just not too many local payment systems.
Yes. There are around 50 brick-and-mortar venues in Panama.
Veneto Wyndham Grand Hotel & Casino is by far the biggest Panamanian brick-and-mortar casino.
The table below pinpoints the milestones in Panamanian gambling history.
| Year | Event |
| 1903 | The Panama lottery becomes a state monopoly. |
| 1947 | Law 19 creates the Gaming Control Board under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. |
| 1997 | Private companies enter the gambling market for the first time in a century-old history. |
| 1998 | Law 2 establishes the Gaming Commission (Junta de Control de Juegos) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. |
| 2002 | The Online Gambling Act of 2002 makes online gambling legal. The Panama Gambling Control Board is born. |
| 2003 | Resolutions 29 and 39 reinforce the 1998 legislation. Resolution 40 legalizes slot machines. The first online casinos receive licenses. |
| 2015 | Panama launches a 5.5% taxation scheme on all casino withdrawals. |
| 2019 | As revenues crumble, Panama abolishes taxes on gambling winnings. |
No big changes are in store for Panama. Improvements may happen in the licensing to foster trust abroad. Panama launched an anti-laundering law in 2018 as a part of the efforts to improve its image.
Technology-wise Panama is lagging behind its competitors. The chances are original online casinos from Pana won't proliferate. But crypto gambling could very well increase.
Here's all you need to know about online casinos, Panama at a glance:
