In Ecuador, land-based casinos and gambling halls have been banned since 2011 following a nationwide vote; the industry was closed under the administration of Rafael Correa.
The ban remains in force.
In 2025, the Constitutional Court first rejected the wording of the issue of resuming casinos, but then revised the position and allowed the referendum to allow casinos only in five-star hotels; even with a positive vote, an implementation law and norms of supervision will be required.
As of October 13, 2025, there are no legal land-based casinos.
(Separately, the state lottery continues to operate in a different legal regime through the Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil.)
Review of Ecuadorian casinos before the 2011 referendum: where (Guayaquil, Quito) were located, which games offered, who was the customer, how the "hotel" model worked, the impact on tourism and employment, public criticism, and why the industry ended quickly.
Learn more →Why Ecuador closed the casino: public anxieties (ludomania, family debts), the political agenda of the 2010s, moral and ethical discourse, a dispute about economic benefits, weak control mechanisms and the result - the 2011 referendum followed by a decree on the liquidation of the industry.
Learn more →We analyze the phenomenon of underground excitement in Ecuador after the 2011 referendum: "shadow" formats, camouflage schemes, geography (Quito, Guayaquil and the provinces), payment channels, the role of instant messengers and unlicensed POS points, risks for players and communities, countermeasures and prevention methods.
Learn more →How the closure of the casino in 2011 hit Ecuador's employment and tourism: direct and indirect jobs, the effect on hotels (ADR/RevPAR), restaurants and transport, "evaporated" MICE traffic, lost tax revenues, regional differences of Quito/Guayaquil and what partially compensated for lotteries and sports rates.
Learn more →What happens to the idea of returning the casino to Ecuador: how the 2011 ban remains the basic norm, why did the authorities put the question to the 2025 referendum, why the Constitutional Court first rejected the "composite" wording (5 + 25% tax + purpose), and then allowed a narrow version of the question. Role of parliament, arguments of the parties and possible scenarios.
Learn more →
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