The famous 5Dimes Sportsbook and Casino is one example of such an operator, while online casino software developer RealTime Gaming has its offices in Heredia, Costa Rica - a suburb of San Jose, the capital. Some famous online sportsbooks even headquarter their operations in Costa Rica, because of its progressive view towards online gambling. Under the “Legality of International Gaming in Costa Rican Law” of 1999, Costa Rica licenses online gambling operations, much like nearby Panama does. Thus, online sports betting is legal and protected in Costa Rica, though residents should not gamble on brick-and-mortar sports. Neither is it a prosecutable crime for offshore online sportsbooks to accept bets from Costa Rican residents. The physical location of a server is not where the crime of sports betting takes place, so foreign sports bettors engaging in online sports betting on Costa Rican servers is not a crime.

It is illegal to bet on sports in Costa Rica, but that applies only to land-based sports betting. Costa Rica Sports Betting LegalityĬosta Rica’s sports betting legality takes some explanation. When finished, you’ll have all the tools you need for safe and secure online sports gambling while in Costa Rica. I’ll discuss the best Internet sportsbooks for Costa Rican sports bettors while pointing to resources that will help you research sites for yourself. I’ll also discuss its unique stance towards online sportsbooks. In this guide to Costa Rican sports betting, I’ll discuss the legality of sports betting in Costa Rica. A 1999 national law created a regulatory environment for licensing online gambling sites, while events in 2012 mean those sites pay tax revenues directly to the government. Costa Rica serves as headquarters for several famous online gambling companies, which should tell you it has a permissive attitude towards online sports betting. While the local authorities frown upon brick-and-mortar sports betting operations, the online gambling industry is a source of tax revenues for the Costa Rican government. For further information, read our Privacy PolicyĬosta Rica’s sports betting industry is large and growing.

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