It is not worth talking about online betting without mentioning online bookies. In Costa Rica, we have a great culture of online betting, and for that reason, in our land, there are several of the best online bookies in the world. Let’s see a bit of the history of betting in Costa Rica and the best bookmakers in the country.
History and evolution of betting in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the most advanced countries in the central zone of the American continent, and this also affects the gambling and online bookies sector. In fact, in 1922 the first Costa Rican gambling law was approved.
However, the last law in reference to gambling in Costa Rica dates from 2012. Of course, it should be noted that it only contemplates face-to-face betting and does not take into account casinos and Internet betting houses.
We are referring to the Tax Law on Casinos and Companies linking calls to electronic bets. It announces that casinos can only be located in luxury hotels (four or more stars). In addition, at most, they can occupy 15% of the total area.
The Ministry of Public Security is in charge of authorizing the different casinos.
Thanks to these casinos and betting shops, the state will collect:
- 10% of the net income of the casinos
- 60% of the base salary of the gaming tables
- 10% of base salary from slots
Therefore, we have to be clear that in Costa Rica there is legislation and an administration that is responsible for distributing licenses in order to establish itself in this nation.
Is there a gambling culture?
If we look back, since the sixties of the last century Costa Rica has the Totogol, which is similar to our pool.
In addition, in 1994 Creatico appeared, a new game for sports betting, although it did not have the expected success.
Both were designed by and for the Costa Rican public, but only focused on the national soccer league. For this reason, they are much less interesting than the current online bookies, where the offer to play is immense.
The online betting
In the American continent, little by little (more slowly than desirable) the regulation of gambling and the sector of online betting and online bookies continues. In some countries, they advance faster than in others, but if we focus on Costa Rica, the situation is not very different from that of other territories.
Generally, we can say that online gambling is not regulated in Costa Rica. This is so because Internet gambling has not been included in the laws of the country.
In other words, the law does not prohibit online bookmakers from operating under licenses from other countries. Therefore, the existing supply for Costa Ricans is really high.
And there are hundreds of websites of international online betting houses that accept players from Costa Rica. Who wants to play in this country has a wide range of options. Of course, as long as we bet with an accessible currency, such as the Dollar or the Euro, we will not have any problem.
Our recommendation is that you compare the options well and register on several portals to enjoy the different welcome bonuses.
Is it legal to gamble online in Costa Rica?
When addressing the situation for users, it must be made clear that in Costa Rica, online betting and registration in online bookies are not a crime.
Moreover, online games of chance are in a “neither illegal nor legal” situation. They have never been legalized, but neither have they been prohibited. Therefore, Costa Rican users have access to many websites where gambling is allowed since these have not been blocked.
Although it is true that there is no national offer, you will be able to play in many international bookmakers in Costa Rica.
Traditional casinos and gambling halls are located in luxury hotel complexes, therefore they are often not accessible to Costa Ricans. For this reason, online betting houses and casinos are a very juicy alternative for players in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Online bookies and gaming licenses
Costa Rica is known for being a tax haven. For this reason, in the past, many foreign companies decided to settle in the Central American country to launch their online gambling business.
The conditions were favorable to them, and economically it was very profitable for them. In addition, being online bookies and Internet casinos, they could be based in Costa Rica and offer services to all countries where online gambling was not prohibited.
Although on one condition! These companies were supposed to block access to users from Costa Rica.
What was the problem? Well, as we have already mentioned, Costa Rica has never had an entity in charge of managing online gambling operators and there are no laws that regulate Internet betting either.
Therefore, security and player protection guarantees were somewhat lacking.
Of all this, Costa Rica is currently no longer so interesting for gaming operators, who now prefer other countries for their business.
For players, it is also much safer to bet at a licensed online bookmaker abroad than one in their own country.
The best online bookies
- 1Xbet
This is one of the main online bookies worldwide. This house is originally from Russia and has a welcome bonus of up to $115.00.
- Betway
Betaway is one of the online bookies with the greatest presence in Latin America. All new players receive a 150% bonus, up to $60.00 in free bets.
- 888sport
This is one of the most dynamic online bookies of all. Your welcome bonus up to $30.00.
- Bet365
One of the online bookies with a presence on all the continents of the world. Your welcome bonus up to $30.00
- Betfair
Welcome bonus up to $115.00
