Licensing Nicaragua

Operator Licensing and Requirements (Nicaragua)

1) Legal framework and regulators

Basic Act: Ley Nº 766 (2011) - a special law on the control and regulation of casinos and gambling halls. It sets the framework for licensing, supervision and sanctions.

Reform: Ley Nº 884 (16. 10. 2014) - Transfers industry control from tourism to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (MHCP) and consolidates the supervision structure.

By-law regulation: Decree (Reglamento) Nº 06-2015 - detailed regulations for the application of Ley 766: definitions, roles of the Casino and Gaming Halls Office under the MHCP, procedural and technical requirements. Consolidated texts are available.

The key takeaway: Licensing in Nicaragua formally covers land-based casinos/halls; There is no separate transparent online license for private B2C operators.

2) To whom and for what licenses are issued

Licensing object - casinos and salons (halls) of slot machines as physical sites. The law and regulation describe the types of permits, council/office competencies, space, equipment, internal control and personnel requirements.

Authorized body: MHCP through the Casino and Gaming Halls Office - "Autoridad de Aplicación" according to the regulations.

3) Document package and procedure (offline segment)

The standard dossier for the operator includes (according to the regulations and practice of application):

Constituent documents and beneficial structure; internal regulations on risk management and compliance.
Site description: floor plans, checkout/storage areas, table and machine layout, security measures, CCTV, IT control.
Financial guarantees/solvency; information about management and key employees (fit & proper).
Confirmation of the fulfillment of AML/CTF duties (see section 6): registration as a subject obligated to the UAF (Unidad de Análisis Financiero).

The procedure includes filing an application with the Casino Office, preliminary inspection, site inspection, issue/refusal and subsequent scheduled inspections. Detailed procedures - in Regulation No. 06-2015.

4) Technical and organizational requirements

The regulation imposes requirements on operators to:

Security and monitoring: round-the-clock video surveillance, storage of records, access control, cash procedures.
Equipment and accounting: certification/accounting of slot machines and tables, operation logs, reporting to MHCP.
Internal control: separation of cash/gender/audit functions, internal regulations to prevent fraud.
Personnel: qualification of managers and key persons, conditions of admission to work.

5) Term, extension, assignment

Licenses and permits are issued for a specified period with the right to renew, subject to the criteria of good faith, payment of fees and the absence of serious violations; any transfers/changes of control shall be agreed with the regulator. The order is established in Ley 766 and regulations.

6) AML/CTF: UAF registration and ongoing duties

Casino/gaming hall operators - "subjects obligated" by Ley Nº 977 (consoles. text with revisions 06. 09. 2024) and related regulations: are required to register with the UAF, implement a risk-based approach (EBR), KYC/CDD, monitor operations, store data and report suspicious activity.

Updates 2024-2025. expand and clarify the list of subjects obliged, and the procedure for their interaction with the UAF (direct declaration, prohibition to refer to secrecy).

7) Taxes, fees and reporting

MHCP oversees the financial and fiscal part of the sector (fees/paraffiscal payments, reporting). The transfer of the industry in 2014 was just argued by the need to strengthen financial control and administration. Specific rates depend on the type of facility and are set by fiscal acts/MHCP decisions.

8) Inspections and sanctions

The law provides for scheduled/unscheduled inspections; for violations - fines, suspension or cancellation of the license, confiscation of unlicensed equipment. Sanctions procedures and scales are disclosed in Ley 766 and regulations.

9) Advertising and responsible play

The requirements for the content and placement of advertising, informing players, refusing to serve vulnerable persons and maintaining self-exclusion logs follow from the general Ley 766/Regulation and UAF compliance blocks (proper identification, "know your client," control of risky products/channels).

10) Online operators: status as of 09. 10. 2025

The law does not introduce a separate local licensing regime for private online casinos; supervisory architecture and regulations are focused on physical objects. MHCP profile materials and texts of norms confirm the absence of a published procedure for issuing a private online B2C license. Consequently, the online segment of private operators remains outside local licensing, and compliance requirements for local legal entities/payment channels operate through general norms and UAF.

11) Practical "road map" for the applicant (offline)

1. Preliminary assessment of site and business model compliance with Ley 766/Reglamento requirements.

2. Dossier formation: statutory documents, information about beneficiaries, hall plans, information security/video, internal regulations.

3. Registration and configuration of AML circuits: registration with UAF, KYC/CDD, STR/CTR procedures, personnel training.

4. Application to the Casino Office at MHCP, payment of fees, inspection.

5. Operation with regular reporting and readiness for inspections; compliance with advertising/social. requirements and extension by term.

12) Brief FAQ

Can I get a local online casino license? On date 09. 10. 2025 - no published procedure for private B2C online operators.

Who is the regulator? MHCP through the Casino Office created by the 2014 reform and 2015 regulations.

Is an AML loop required? Yes, according to Ley 977, the operators are "subjects obligated" to the UAF.

Sources

Ley Nº 766 (consolidated text): licensing framework, controls, sanctions.

Ley Nº 884 (2014): shifting oversight to MHCP.

"Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 06-2015." : regulation on the application of the law; "Autoridad de Aplicación" - MNSR/Casino Office.

Ley Nº 977 (consolid. with rev. 06. 09. 2024): UAF-obligated entities; risk-based approach, reporting.

UAF standard and clarification on casino registration and duties.

Note: in commercial publications there are statements about "the possibility of online in the presence of a physical object of category A." This is not enshrined in a separate B2C online licensing procedure in public MHCP acts, therefore it refers to interpretations of practice, and not to a formally published license for private traders. For policy/public materials, it is correct to refer to the Ley 766/Reglamento texts and the Ley 977 AML frame.