Is online gambling legal in Nicaragua?

Legal overview

Nicaragua regulates gambling under Ley No. 766, the Special Law for the Control and Regulation of Casinos and Gaming Halls. It was approved on 25 May 2011 and published in La Gaceta No. 124 on 5 July 2011, and a consolidated text including amendments was published in La Gaceta No. 238 on 16 December 2014. Implementing rules come from Decreto Ejecutivo No. 06-2015, published on 10 March 2015, which names the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (MHCP) as the enforcing authority, acting through its Oficina de Casinos y Salas de Juegos. The original 2011 text gave this role to the tourism institute INTUR. Under the law, betting in Nicaragua must take place in a licensed casino or gaming hall unless another law provides otherwise. People under 18 may not enter or play.

The law does not set up a stand-alone online licence. Instead, Article 48 lets holders of an operator licence with one or more operating permits offer internet games to nationals, residents and tourists, either directly or with a national or foreign technology provider. Article 21 of the regulation limits this to category "A" casinos and gaming halls, which need prior written MHCP authorisation and must pay prizes from internet betting only by non-negotiable cheque. No public register of land-based licensees authorised for online casino games could be found, so it is unclear whether any of them offers online casino games today.

The law does not address foreign websites serving Nicaraguan players, and no blocking of sites or payments has been reported. Offshore online casinos therefore operate in a grey market without Nicaraguan oversight, and players cannot rely on the MHCP to resolve disputes with them. Gambling winnings from local venues are taxed under the tax code.