Is Gambling Legal in El Salvador?

El Salvador is one of the newest regulated markets in Latin America. Since 2021, all gambling activities – including casinos, sports betting, and online gaming – have been regulated by the National Lottery (LNB).

Land-based casinos are licensed and mostly found in hotels or authorised gaming salons. Sports betting is also regulated, with the state-backed platform Dale.sv leading the market. Online gambling is fully legal and includes casino, sports, bingo, and live games – with cryptocurrency also permitted.

Offshore sites are still available, but the government is putting structure in place. The focus now is on building a regulated market with clear rules and player safeguards. With high mobile use and growing interest in digital products, El Salvador is starting to find its footing in the regional iGaming space.

Online Gambling in El Salvador

Regulatory Authority	National Lottery (LNB)
Key legislation	Law of the National Lottery of Charity (2021)
Allowed activities	With prior LNB authorisation, the following are allowed, among others: lotteries (traditional, electronic, instant) sports betting (including virtual sports) online casino games, including slots, roulette, bingo, keno and card games mobile and web-based platforms remote gaming via terminals, text messaging, internet
Prohibited activities	Among others: operating any gambling activity without a licence possessing or using gaming equipment/software without LNB authorization accepting items or property instead of money as a bet unauthorised foreign operators offering games accessible via technology
Taxation and fees	After a permit is granted, a licence fee (canon) must be paid. The fee is calculated based on: the duration of the licence the initial investment or balance sheet value
Licence validity / duration	Licences are issued for up to 10 years and must be renewed annually.
Benefits of the market	Crypto-friendly ecosystem As the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, El Salvador offers a unique opportunity for crypto gambling, backed by strong digital infrastructure and a growing base of crypto-native users.
SOFTSWISS products compliant	No products available at the moment

Land-Based Gambling in El Salvador

Key legislation	Law of the National Lottery of Charity (2021)
Allowed activities	With prior LNB authorisation, among others: instant and electronic lotteries sports betting slot machines table games (e.g. roulette, blackjack, poker) bingo halls and paper-based games
Prohibited activities	Among others: unlicensed gambling, participation of minors in any form of gambling cryptocurrency payments for gambling betting by athletes, referees, or match officials on related events games not registered or technically certified (e.g. rigged machines)
Taxation and fees	After a permit is granted, a licence fee (canon) must be paid. The fee is calculated based on: the duration of the licence the initial investment or balance sheet value

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