Guide · 8 November 2026
Online casino in Latin America in 2026: markets, bans and the rules a platform must enforce
Latin America has no single model for online casino. Colombia and Peru license it nationally, Argentina licenses it province by province, Mexico ties it to land-based permits, Brazil banned online betting and casino in September 2026, and Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay are still debating laws. The Dominican Republic and Panama passed new laws in 2026. This guide sets out where each market stands in November 2026 and what a platform has to enforce in each, and sits beside our guide to online casino in Europe.
Key points
- Licensed nationally: Colombia (Coljuegos, 15 online operators), Peru (MINCETUR, since February 2024) and the Dominican Republic (Law 86-26, October 2026).
- Licensed locally or through permits: Argentina, where most provinces license online gaming separately, and Mexico, where online sites are tied to land-based permits.
- Closed: Brazil since 25 September 2026 under Medida Provisória 1.394; Chile, where a bill is in the Senate; Uruguay and Paraguay, where the state or a single concessionaire holds the market.
- Platform rules repeat across the region: local domains (.co, bet.pe, .bet.ar), identity checks against national registries, deposit limits, self-exclusion registers and local payment accounts.
- Dates to watch: 23 November (end of the first period for Brazil’s measure), 30 November (Argentina’s national bill) and the Colombian and Chilean bills before year end.
Where each market stands in November 2026
| Market | Online casino in November 2026 | Regulator | What comes next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Banned by Medida Provisória 1.394 since 25 September 2026; federal authorisations ended on 25 October | Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) | First 60-day period ends 23 November; the measure lapses on 4 March 2027 if Congress does not vote; challenge ADI 8027 pending at the Supreme Court |
| Argentina | Licensed province by province; no national licence | Each province, such as IPLyC (Buenos Aires Province) and LOTBA (City of Buenos Aires) | The national bill loses parliamentary status on 30 November unless the Senate takes it up |
| Colombia | Licensed through concession contracts; 15 authorised online operators | Coljuegos | Bill 477/2026 would restore a 19% VAT on deposits and add ISP blocking |
| Peru | Licensed since February 2024 | MINCETUR | Draft amendments to the regulation published on 21 October 2026 |
| Mexico | Online sites linked to land-based permit holders | SEGOB | Reform of the 1947 federal law not yet in Congress; new anti-money-laundering processes due by 30 November |
| Dominican Republic | Licensed under Law 86-26 of October 2026; seven authorised online operators | DGJA | Technical and licensing resolution still pending |
| Panama | Law 527 of June 2026 tightens online controls | Junta de Control de Juegos | Implementing rules due within six months of the law |
| Chile | Not licensed; online platforms ruled illegal in 2023 | Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego under the bill | Bill 14.838-03 in the Senate, with government amendments of 26 October |
| Ecuador | Casinos banned since 2011; online sports betting licensed | Licensing under Executive Decrees 422 and 445 (2026) | Five-year sports betting licences |
| Paraguay | Monopoly concession for sports betting | CONAJZAR | Bill to replace it with DINAJZAR in the Senate since 12 October 2026 |
| Uruguay | State monopoly; private online casino prohibited | State lottery (Supermatch) | Government bill announced, not yet passed |
| Puerto Rico | Online sports betting authorised; online casino not yet | Comisión de Juegos | Bill A158 of October 2026 would legalise online casino |
The table shows how much depends on legislatures in the next few weeks. Brazil’s measure needs a congressional vote, Argentina’s national bill expires unless the Senate acts, and Chile and Colombia are both reworking tax and licensing rules. A licence from one jurisdiction does not carry over to another, including between Argentine provinces.
What the platform must enforce, market by market
| Market | Domain and hosting | Identity and limits | Payments and tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | .co website; inspection components physically in Colombia; games certified by a laboratory | One account per player; identity fully verified within 30 business days; daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits | Player funds held in a Colombian bank account; payments through supervised institutions |
| Peru | bet.pe domain; exclusive-use servers in Peru or abroad with redundancy; real-time data to MINCETUR and SUNAT; certificate from an authorised laboratory | Identity, age and nationality checked at registration with DNI, foreigner card or passport; voluntary exclusion procedures | One payment method per player; crypto excluded; tax of 12% of net income |
| Argentina: City of Buenos Aires | LOTBA licence; no cap on licence numbers | DNI validation through RENAPER; deposit, loss and time limits with automatic logout; ReVA self-exclusion register | Payment method must belong to the account holder; social-aid accounts excluded |
| Argentina: Buenos Aires Province | Seven licences, quota closed; local partner required | Provincial self-exclusion and limits | 2% withholding on slot winnings, shown to the player |
| Argentina: Santa Fe | .bet.ar domains; foreign bidders in a joint venture with a local firm; ten-year licences | Provincial rules | Levy of at least 15% of monthly gross result |
| Mexico | Online sites tied to a land-based permit; advertising shows the permit key | Anti-money-laundering obligations for operators | IEPS on gambling at 50% from 1 January 2026, covering internet games offered by non-residents |
| Dominican Republic | Ten-year online licences for legal entities | Identity and age checked against JCE records before deposits; limits; national self-exclusion register | 10% monthly tax on online operations; blocking through INDOTEL and payment entities |
| Panama | Domain and IP blocking by the regulator; providers comply within five days | Biometric age and identity checks; spending and time limits; risk alerts | Rules on licensing and tax still to come |
| Ecuador (sports betting) | Foreign operators need an Ecuadorian branch | Identity and age validation; AML reporting to UAFE | 15% VAT on digital betting, withheld by card issuers for unregistered foreign platforms |
| Chile (bill) | Chilean closely held company; a .cl domain counts as evidence of past illegal operation | RUT required; biometric authentication; national self-exclusion register | Banks to block payments to illegal sites; proposed 19% VAT on the margin plus 3% |
These are the rules a platform and game catalogue have to apply, not the full licence conditions, and several markets will add detail through regulations still in draft. Where a cell describes a bill, the rule is not yet law.
Brazil after the ban
Medida Provisória 1.394 took effect on 25 September 2026. Deposits stopped that day, sites and apps had to be offline from 6 October, and the federal authorisations of the 85 to 87 operators that held them ended on 25 October, with no new authorisations allowed. Banks and payment institutions, Pix included, may not process betting transactions, all advertising and sponsorship is banned, and platforms and providers that break the rules face fines of up to 10% of the group’s Brazilian turnover.
The outcome now depends on Congress and the Supreme Court. No joint committee had been installed by early November, 100 amendments were filed, and the measure enters urgency from 9 November; if Congress does not vote, it lapses on 4 March 2027. The Supreme Court heard ADI 8027 on 3 November without granting an injunction, and on 6 November a regional court order that let three brands resume in São Paulo was suspended the same night. Our news report from 5 November follows the court cases, and our Brazil page covers the market background.
Six patterns across the region
- Local domains. Colombia requires a .co site, Peru a bet.pe domain and Santa Fe .bet.ar, and Chile’s bill treats a .cl domain without a licence as evidence of illegal operation.
- Identity checks against national registries. The City of Buenos Aires validates DNI through RENAPER, the Dominican Republic checks JCE records before deposits, Chile’s bill requires a RUT and biometrics, and Panama’s law requires biometric checks.
- Limits and self-exclusion. Colombia requires daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits, the City of Buenos Aires adds loss and time limits with automatic logout, and the Dominican Republic and Chile’s bill create national self-exclusion registers.
- Local money. Colombia requires player funds in a Colombian bank account, Peru allows one payment method per player and excludes crypto, and the City of Buenos Aires requires the payment method to belong to the account holder.
- Blocking of unlicensed sites. Coljuegos has issued 46,228 blocking orders since 2022, Peru had blocked 86 illegal platforms by October 2026, Chile blocked 37 domains in September, and Panama gives internet providers five days to comply.
- Tax that keeps changing. Mexico raised its gambling IEPS to 50% in 2026, Colombia’s VAT has moved from deposits to revenue and back to a proposal on deposits, and Chile’s tax design changed between May and October.
What it means for the platform and the content
A Latin American launch is a market-by-market configuration job. The platform needs a separate site and domain per market, identity connectors for each national registry, deposit and loss limits, a self-exclusion check per market or province, local payment rails, and tax withholding and reporting such as Peru’s real-time data feed to SUNAT and the Buenos Aires Province withholding on slot winnings. Our guides on jurisdiction controls in a casino API, KYC and onboarding, payments and the cashier and responsible gambling tools cover each part.
For the catalogue, laboratory certification decides what can go live: Colombia and Peru both require certified games, and Peru also registers service providers, laboratories included. Ask each studio for its certificates per market before you plan the lobby, and keep separate configurations for markets whose rules are still being written. Our licence guide explains how hub licences fit the markets that have no regime of their own.
Sources: Congresso Nacional: MPV 1.394/2026 (accessed 7 November 2026); Agência Senado: MP bans betting (28 September 2026); BNLData: the betting MP risks lapsing (5 November 2026); iGB: Brazil’s Supreme Court hearing (4 November 2026); Lance: court overturns injunction, PGR goes to the STF (7 November 2026); Yogonet: where online gaming is regulated in Argentina (23 July 2025); Rosario3: the map of online gaming in Argentina (15 June 2026); Yogonet: IPLyC regulates the online gaming withholding (9 September 2026); AGCBA: audit of LOTBA online gaming (29 December 2025); Yogonet: Santa Fe awards four online licences (17 June 2026); Yogonet: Argentine Senate preference motion (2 November 2026); Diario Huarpe: the two online betting bills (20 October 2026); Coljuegos: new authorised online operator (26 May 2026); Coljuegos Acuerdo 4 of 2016 (2016); Yogonet: Coljuegos blocking orders (7 July 2026); NEXT.io: Colombia targets deposits with 19% VAT again (2 November 2026); Congreso del Perú: Law 31557, consolidated text (accessed November 2026); MINCETUR: frequently asked questions (2024); El Peruano: MINCETUR proposes amendments (21 October 2026); El Peruano: MINCETUR blocks unauthorised platforms (2 October 2026); Infobae: SEGOB reform of the federal gaming law (3 September 2026); Quinta Fuerza: reform not yet in Congress (19 October 2026); KPMG Mexico: 2026 tax reforms (November 2025); BioBioChile: the online betting bill (7 May 2026); iGB: Chile’s online gambling bill advances (29 October 2026); La Hora: online betting in Chile, bill and blocking (20 October 2026); Meythaler & Zambrano: sports betting rules in Ecuador (17 June 2026); Yogonet: Ecuador’s 15% VAT on online betting (14 April 2026); Focus Gaming News: Paraguay’s DINAJZAR reform (16 October 2026); Yogonet: Uruguay casino operators push online regulation (25 August 2026); Yogonet: Panama’s new gambling law (3 June 2026); Diario Libre: Dominican Republic’s new gaming directorate (2 October 2026); Yogonet: DGJA identifies seven authorised online operators (4 November 2026); Yogonet: Puerto Rico’s online gaming bill (20 October 2026).
Frequently asked questions
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