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Legalization online Costa Rica
Costa Rica has served as a hub for iGaming operations for decades, but there is no special license for online gambling in the country: companies register as a data processing business, while traditionally it is believed that it is impossible to serve local residents, and the activities are addressed to external markets. This non-standard "window" formed an operational cluster, but left a legal gray area around online.
In 2025, the discussion revived: business and specialized publications reported on a course to streamline the industry and new initiatives against illegal games, including the expanded powers of the state Junta de Protección Social (JPS) and tougher liability for illegal lottery sales. This is not a direct law on online casinos, but a signal to systematize the market.
At the same time, state documents already recognize related forms - for example, "communication companies/call centers for electronic rates" in tax regulation (Ley No. 9050 and its Regulations): this indirectly reflects the existence of offshore online operations from Costa Rica and creates a basis for future rationing.
Starting point: where the market stands today
There is no profile online license and supervisory authority: registration as data processing, lack of a single regulator for online.
Restriction on resident services: Practice and directories of jurisdictions emphasize the prohibition of targeting services to residents of Costa Rica.
The ground segment and goslotherei have separate rules and fees; online - outside the full framework, but is taken into account in the tax field through "intermediary companies."
Conclusion: there is a basis for the "transition to licensing" (tax contour, state lottery, company registration practice), but there is not enough central law and online regulator.
Why the topic of legalization is relevant in 2025-2030
1. Revenues and transparency. Streamlining the online sector gives fiscal revenues and control over payment flows (Visa/Mastercard and banks consistently require recognized licenses).
2. Consumer protection. RG tools (limits, self-exclusion) are only effective with oversight and standards. (2025 industrial consensus: "effective regulation is the way forward").
3. Image and tourism. The resort country benefits from the "white" status of entertainment for tourists and expats.
Regulatory model options (what to discuss)
Model A: "Easy" registration + compliance minimum
Operator register, basic KYC/AML requirements, responsible gambling reporting, transparent T & Cs.
Plus: fast start, low load on the regulator. Minus: limited international recognition. (The problem of aquairing without a "recognizable" license persists in part.)
Model B: Full license with supervision (regulator/department at JPS or separate body)
Pre-qualification, RNG/platform audit, player funds protection, reporting, responsible practices, sanctions.
Plus: access to mainstream payments, partner trust. Minus: above the entry threshold, personnel and procedures are needed.
Model C: Free Zone + Export Hybrid
Allowed work "outside the country" with an enhanced tax regime and a ban on local marketing; in parallel - a pilot of the local market through a limited list of products (for example, sports betting under the hood).
Plus: preserves Costa Rica's export role, reduces the risks of "domestic gambling addiction." Minus: the difficulty of differentiating traffic.
Tax and fees: landmarks
License fee + GGR-tax 10-20% (range observed in a number of jurisdictions), targeted deductions for sports/society, "tax on bets" for market makers.
Ad tax with content and targeting restrictions.
Technical standards: certification, annual audits. (Parts of this are already being "pulled up" by tax regulations for casinos and "communications companies.")
Consumer and payments: what will change with legalization
Aquiring and PSP. With a recognized license, it is easier to connect banks/cards and alternative PSPs - now they often request a "respected" licensing base.
More player protection. Mandatory limits, hotlines, transparent bonuses, storage of customer funds in segregated accounts.
Access to content. The line of legal providers and sports data is wider.
Scenarios 2025-2030
Scenario 1 - "Soft Codification" (probable, 2025-2027).
Government agencies fix the registration/supervision frame, JPS receives expanded tools against illegal and coordination; online falls under the register, basic RG rules, advertising standards and reporting are introduced.
Scenario 2 - "Full License" (possible, 2026-2029).
A profile regulator (or a department under the JPS) is being created with the authority to audit platforms, sanctions and certification of providers; GGR rates and segregation of funds are established. The basis is the expansion of the current Ley 9050 tax field/regulations to online platforms.
Scenario 3 - "Export-pilot" (alternative).
Export orientation is maintained (not to serve residents), while licenses for B2B hosting, risk management and data providers are introduced, and local products are tested through a limited pilot under JPS.
Risks and how to cover them
Payment and reputational. Without a clear license - barriers for banks/cards. Solution: public registry, certifications, accession to international RG standards.
Enforcement. We need powers to block illegal immigrants and coordinate law enforcement agencies - this is exactly what is laid down in the 2025 initiatives.
Personnel and procedures. The creation of a regulator requires audit methodologies, IT competencies and a system of sanctions - discussed by the expert community as an "inevitable step."
Roadmap for operators and sites (pragmatic)
12 months
Prepare compliance map: KYC/AML, RG tools, transparent bonuses, funds segregation logic.
Bring T & Cs to bilingual standards (ES/EN), prepare reports in case of registration/audit.
12-24 months
Certification of RNG/platforms from respected laboratories; adaptation of fraud models to the requirements of banks.
Contracts with data providers/sport integrites.
24-36 months
Migration to the "licensed" model at its launch: payment of fees, publication of RG policies, integration of national aid lines.
What it will give Costa Rica
Fiscally. Transparent GGR taxes and fees, targeted contributions to social funds.
Socially. Marketing control, protection of vulnerable groups, understandable channels of assistance.
Economically. Conversion of the "offshore hub" into a recognizable regulated jurisdiction with access to classic payments and increased investment.
Bottom line. As of October 10, 2025, Costa Rica does not have a full-fledged online license, but the state is moving towards streamlining the industry through the fight against illegal, tax regulations for related entities and a public discussion about supervision. A realistic trajectory is "soft codification" in 2025-2027 with a possible transition to licensing by the end of the decade. Operators should now bring products to RG/KYC standards and prepare processes for future registration.