Панама Игровая лицензия

Панамалицензия

Обзор

Регуляторная нагрузка

8/10

Риск-уровень (PSP/банки)

Elevated

Key facts

Regulator	Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)
Legal basis	Decreto Ley No. 2 of 10 February 1998; Resolución No. 65 of 25 October 2002; Resolución No. 11 of 6 March 2020 (current online reglamento)
License structure	One Contrato de Administración y Operación, plus one Licencia de Juego per web domain, maximum five per contract (art. 16)
Government fee	B/.50,000 Derecho de Llave per Licencia de Juego (art. 12)
Bonds	B/.500,000 performance bond (art. 13) and B/.100,000 annual prize-payment bond (art. 14)
Revenue share to the JCJ	10% of gross income (ingresos brutos), paid monthly within the first 10 calendar days (art. 15)
Contract term	Capped at seven years by art. 22 of Resolución No. 65 of 2002, conditional on fees being current; status under the 2020 reglamento unconfirmed
Minimum capital	No fixed floor. Working capital is whatever the approved business plan sets out (art. 10, Resolución No. 65 of 2002)
Local presence	Offices and a call centre in Panama are mandatory (art. 29.2)
Servers	May sit outside Panama, with exact location declared and a Certificado de Cumplimiento filed (art. 29.3)
Verticals covered	Sports events, including auto and greyhound racing, and internet casino games: poker, blackjack, roulette, slots (art. 16)
Excluded	Horse racing, lottery and similar games (art. 29.4)
Domain requirement	The domain must carry Panama's ccTLD, currently ".pa" (art. 31.c)
Since May 2026	Law 527 of 23 May 2026 adds biometric player verification, site-blocking powers and fines of B/.25,000 to B/.100,000

Panama licenses online gaming through the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ), the national regulator sitting under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). Panama regulates the sector as "los Juegos de Suerte y Azar y las Actividades que Originan Apuestas", games of chance and activities that give rise to betting. Online operators have been licensed here since 2002.

The permit is normally held by a Panamanian Sociedad Anónima, and the current rules sit in Resolución No. 11 of 6 March 2020, which replaced the online provisions of Resolución No. 65 of 2002.

Two things about Panama are widely misreported and both matter to your budget. The government fee is set per web domain, not per company, and the JCJ takes 10% of gross income on top of it. The figures circulating on comparison sites, "$40,000 upfront and $20,000 a year", come from the 2002 text that the 2020 reglamento replaced. Everything below is cited to the article that sets it.

Panama gaming license vs gambling license: is there a difference?

No. A Panama gaming license, a Panama gambling license, a Panama casino license and a Panama iGaming license all name the same instrument. The JCJ works from one umbrella term, "los Juegos de Suerte y Azar y las Actividades que Originan Apuestas", which covers games of chance and betting activities together.

The wording splits by market habit, not by law. British operators say gambling, American operators say gaming, affiliates say iGaming. Panama issues one set of instruments for all of it: a Contrato de Administración y Operación, then a Licencia de Juego per domain. For how license types compare across jurisdictions, start at our gambling license hub.

Who regulates gaming in Panama?

The Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ) regulates gaming in Panama. The JCJ operates under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and handles licensing, supervision and enforcement. Decreto Ley No. 2 of 10 February 1998 restructured the JCJ. Resolución No. 65 of 2002 opened online licensing, and Resolución No. 11 of 6 March 2020 is the current reglamento.

What the JCJ controls in practice:

Approves the Contrato de Administración y Operación through its Pleno, on the Director's recommendation (arts. 9 and 11)
Issues each Licencia de Juego by resolución motivada, and can cancel a license if the site does not launch within three months (art. 16)
Vets individuals through Certificados de Idoneidad for directors, officers, shareholders and employees of trust (art. 18)
Approves the operator's Manual de Procedimientos de Control Interno and any later changes to it (arts. 32 and 35)
Maintains the Lista de Exclusión that operators must check before opening a player account (art. 36.b)
Orders blocking of sites, applications, domains and IP addresses of unlicensed operators, a power widened by Law 527 of 2026

One point that catches operators from lighter-touch jurisdictions: the Contraloría General de la República must countersign the contract before the government fee falls due (art. 12). That is a second state body in your critical path, not a formality inside the JCJ.

What activities does the Panama license cover?

Each Licencia de Juego covers betting on sports events, including auto and greyhound racing, and internet casino games: poker, blackjack, roulette and slots (art. 16). Horse racing, lottery games and games of a similar nature are excluded outright (art. 29.4). One license covers one web domain, with a maximum of five per contract.

Covered:

Sports betting on sporting events
Auto racing and greyhound racing
Poker
Blackjack and table games
Roulette
Slot machines and RNG games

Not covered:

Horse racing, excluded by art. 29.4
Lottery games and games of similar nature, excluded by art. 29.4
Bingo as an online vertical. Bingos appear in the reglamento only as physical venues where payment vouchers may be redeemed under a Contrato de Servicios (art. 30)

Comparison pages that list bingo, lottery and skill games under a single Panama license are describing something the reglamento does not authorise. If any of those verticals is core to your product, raise it before you file, because the answer changes your jurisdiction choice.

Who is the Panama gaming license suitable for?

A Panama gaming license fits established operators serving Latin America who can fund a B/.500,000 performance bond and staff a local office. Panama is not an entry-level jurisdiction. Startups comparing Panama with Anjouan on headline fees are comparing instruments with very different capital demands.

Good fit:

Operators targeting Latin America who want a Spanish-speaking regulator in a nearby time zone
Established groups that can post B/.500,000 in performance bonding plus a B/.100,000 annual prize bond
Businesses running sportsbook and casino together, which one Licencia de Juego covers
Operators who can staff offices and a call centre in Panama and accept a ".pa" domain

Poor fit:

Startups on a first license, where the bonding alone exceeds the entire budget for an Anjouan route
Operators needing EU or UK market access, where only a European license answers
Anyone planning to accept US players
Products built on bingo, lottery or horse racing, which the reglamento excludes
Operators who cannot absorb 10% of gross income as a monthly payment to the regulator

КАК ЭТО РАБОТАЕТ

How do you get a Panama gaming license?

Процесс получения игровой лицензии может быть сложным. Вот пошаговый гид по каждому этапу.

Getting a Panama gaming license runs through five stages: scoping and documents, forming the company, filing with the JCJ, investigation of every shareholder and director, then approval by the Pleno followed by the Contraloría countersignature and payment of the Derecho de Llave. Company formation and licensing run in parallel.

Resolución No. 11 of 2020 sets no statutory processing deadline, so treat any fixed promise of a license date with suspicion. Plan in months, not weeks: the fit-and-proper investigation reaches ten years of history for every shareholder and director, and the Contraloría refrendo sits outside the JCJ's control. We give you a project timeline against your own structure rather than a marketing figure. Ask for a Panama project timeline

STEP 1

Consultation and document preparation

MGL scopes the project against your target markets, verticals and shareholder structure, then lists exactly which documents the JCJ will require. Personal papers come from you. Apostilles, translations, the corporate file and the policy set are ours.

Scoping decides whether Panama is the right answer at all. If your verticals include bingo or lottery, or your budget cannot carry the bonding, we say so before you spend money on a Panamanian company.

STEP 2

Company formation (Sociedad Anónima)

The applicant must be a legal person constituted and organised in Panama, or registered as a foreign company with the Public Registry of Panama (art. 7.4). Most applicants use a Panamanian Sociedad Anónima. Incorporation is a separate workstream from licensing, which is why it starts immediately rather than waiting on the JCJ.

The articles of incorporation are not standard boilerplate. Art. 7(g) requires the objects clause to state that the company operates internet games of chance in accordance with JCJ rules, and requires share-transfer language subjecting any issue or transfer of shares to JCJ approval. Get this wrong and the company has to be amended before the application can proceed.

Note also that no minimum number of directors comes from the gaming rules. Director counts follow Panama's general corporate law, not the reglamento, so any source presenting "three directors" as a JCJ gaming requirement is quoting the wrong statute.

STEP 3

Application submission and investigation

A Panamanian lawyer files the application with the JCJ. Art. 7 sets the package: fit-and-proper histories, source of financing, authenticated or apostilled corporate documents, shareholder and loan certifications, audited profit and loss accounts covering the three previous fiscal years, income tax returns for the same period, and an internal control procedures manual.

Two provisions worth knowing before you file. The Director may summon any person named in the application for questioning (art. 8). And if you withdraw after the Director has issued the corresponding resolution, you cannot file again for one year (art. 10).

Art. 6 also requires gaming-industry experience of at least five years, held by the majority shareholder or the company president. First-time entrants with no operating history need to solve that at the structuring stage.

STEP 4

Due diligence and fit-and-proper checks

The JCJ investigates the personal, criminal, commercial and financial background of every director, officer, employee of trust and shareholder, covering the ten years before the application date (art. 7.e). The investigation traces ownership through to the ultimate beneficial owner (art. 5). AML and KYC obligations come from Ley No. 23 of 27 April 2015 (art. 29.6).

Every individual in a controlling or sensitive role needs a Certificado de Idoneidad from the Director, and it must be obtained specifically for this operation even if the person already holds one for another gaming business (art. 18). Staff need Credenciales de Trabajo (art. 24).

Due diligence is the stage that fails applications. History the regulator finds is worse than history you disclose, which is why we run the same checks on your shareholders before the JCJ does.

STEP 5

Approval and license issuance

The Pleno of the JCJ approves or rejects by resolución motivada (art. 11). Once the Contraloría General de la República countersigns the contract, the operator pays B/.50,000 as Derecho de Llave per Licencia de Juego to the National Treasury (art. 12). The performance bond of B/.500,000 is lodged in favour of the JCJ (art. 13).

Before operations start, the operator must also hold a B/.100,000 bond from an insurer covering payment of player prizes, renewed annually (art. 14). The operator notifies the Director of the intended start date so an inspection can be ordered, and needs prior written authorisation to go live (art. 16). Each licensed site must begin operating within three months or the Director may cancel the Licencia de Juego.

Лицензия на азартные игры Панамы предлагает экономичный и эффективный путь для операторов онлайн-гейминга. Основные сведения:

Охватывает все виды игровой деятельности: Онлайн-казино, спортивный беттинг, покер, лотереи и прочие игры — в рамках одной лицензии.
Доступные сборы: $40 000 единовременно, $20 000 ежегодно.
Налоговые преимущества: Отсутствие налогов на доходы от международных операций.
Быстрая процедура: Лицензирование занимает всего 2–3 месяца.
Длительный срок действия: Лицензия действительна 7 лет.

Ключевые преимущества и недостатки

Преимущества: Отсутствие налогов на иностранную выручку; доступность и быстрое оформление; строгая защита конфиденциальности.

Недостатки: Ограниченное международное признание; ЕС классифицирует Панаму как несотрудническую налоговую юрисдикцию.

Преимущества и недостатки панамской лицензии на азартные игры

Преимущества	Недостатки
Отсутствие налогов на доходы от интернет-игровых операций за пределами Панамы	Ограниченное международное признание
Доступные лицензионные сборы ($40 000 единовременно, $20 000 ежегодно)	Небольшой внутренний рынок
Надёжная защита конфиденциальности по панамским законам	Репутационные проблемы из-за прошлых вопросов с прозрачностью
Быстрая процедура подачи заявки (2–3 месяца)	ЕС классифицирует Панаму как несотрудническую юрисдикцию
Одна лицензия охватывает все основные виды игровой деятельности	Непоследовательное правоприменение

Регулирование азартных игр в Панаме

Основные законы и руководящие принципы

Игровая индустрия Панамы функционирует в соответствии с Законом № 2 от 1998 года. В 2022 году Резолюция № 25 ввела обновлённые правила для онлайн-гемблинга.

Операторы обязаны соблюдать требования ПОД и ПЗК, обеспечивать безопасность игроков и поддерживать защищённые системы. Обязательны регулярные проверки; операторы обязаны вести детальный учёт транзакций.

Регуляторный орган

Совет по контролю над азартными играми (Junta de Control de Juegos, JCJ) осуществляет надзор за всей игровой деятельностью в Панаме.

Заключение

Панама является одним из наиболее экономически выгодных вариантов лицензирования в мире, предлагая сбалансированную регуляторную базу, привлекающую операторов онлайн-гейминга. Срок рассмотрения — всего 2–3 месяца — в сочетании с политической и экономической стабильностью делает Панаму привлекательным выбором.

Характеристика	Преимущество
Налоговая структура	Отсутствие налогов на доходы из иностранных источников
Скорость рассмотрения	Выдача лицензии за 2–3 месяца
Регуляторная база	Сбалансированный надзор без жёстких ограничений
Экономическая эффективность	Доступные первоначальные и текущие сборы
Доступ к рынкам	Оптимален для региональных и глобальных операций

FAQ

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Is gambling legal in Panama?

Yes. Gambling is legal and regulated in Panama. Decreto Ley No. 2 of 10 February 1998 restructured the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ), Resolución No. 65 of 2002 opened online licensing, and Resolución No. 11 of 6 March 2020 is the online reglamento in force.

How long is a Panama gaming license valid?

A Panama gaming license runs for the term of the Contrato de Administración y Operación, capped at seven years by art. 22 of the 2002 reglamento and conditional on fees being current. Whether Resolución No. 11 of 2020 kept that cap is unconfirmed, so verify the term in your contract.

Can Panama-licensed operators accept US players?

No. A Panama gaming license confers no right to serve US players. On 28 April 2025 the Michigan Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist orders to two Panama-based operators, SportsBetting.ag and BetOnline.ag. Operators must geo-block the United States and every market they are not licensed to serve.

Does Panama allow crypto casinos?

Resolución No. 11 of 2020 does not address cryptocurrency. Art. 29.7 limits prize payment to bank account deposits, credit cards, other methods the banking system permits, and voucher redemption at approved venues, which does not contemplate crypto payouts. Confirm any crypto model with the JCJ before launch.

Can foreigners obtain a Panama gaming license?

Yes. Foreign owners hold a Panama gaming license through a company constituted in Panama or registered as a foreign company with the Public Registry. Directors and shareholders may be of any nationality with no residency requirement, and the ten-year fit-and-proper investigation applies regardless of nationality.

Is a local office required in Panama?

Yes. Art. 29.2 of Resolución No. 11 of 2020 requires the operator to have offices and a call centre in the Republic of Panama, holding the documentation the reglamento requires. Gaming servers may sit outside Panama if the exact location is declared and a Certificado de Cumplimiento is filed.

What is the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ)?

The Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ) is Panama's national gaming regulator, operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). The JCJ awards operating contracts and gaming licenses, vets individuals through Certificados de Idoneidad, audits licensees, and enforces breaches through fines, suspension or cancellation.

What penalties apply for breaching Panama gaming rules?

Law 527 of 2026 sets fines of B/.25,000 to B/.100,000, doubling on repeat breach, plus suspension or cancellation of the license, and up to B/.1,000,000 for unlicensed operation. Three months of arrears on the monthly revenue payment can trigger rescission of the contract under Resolución No. 11 of 2020.

Heading: Get the real Panama numbers before you commit

Body: Panama charges per web domain, plus B/.600,000 in bonds and 10% of gross income monthly. Send us your verticals and markets, and we will tell you what it costs you.

Get the real Panama numbers before you commit

Panama charges per web domain, plus B/.600,000 in bonds and 10% of gross income monthly. Send us your verticals and markets, and we will tell you what it costs you.