Online gambling: no official regulation, access via offshore (Ecuador)

Online gambling: no official regulation, access through offshore

Shortly

Online casinos and most online games in Ecuador do not have a separate, special regulation: this is a "gray area," so actual access goes through offshore platforms.

At the same time, the country legalized and taxed the sports betting segment: from July 1, 2024, a 15% GGR tax is in effect, to which dozens of companies have already registered. This does not amount to a complete legalization of online casinos.

In 2025, the LOPD license is introduced for sports forecast operators (5 years; 655 SBU annually ≈ $307.850 for 2025). This streamlines the betting segment, but does not create a mode for online casinos.

Historical frame: why it happened

In 2011, Ecuador held a public consultation and banned offline casinos and halls; the ban was then formalized and enforced. Online casinos did not receive a separate law, so players switched to foreign sites. Attempts to reboot the offline sector through a referendum in 2025 fluctuated: on September 8, 2025, the Constitutional Court rejected the proposed wording; On October 5, 2025, specialized media reported that the court approved one of the questions about casinos in 5-hotels (details and interpretations differ). In any case, this applies to land-based casinos and does not change the online reality as of the publication date.

What is formally allowed today

National lotteries are legal and valid.

Sports betting - the state introduced a tax and license, trying to remove the segment from the "gray zone": 15% GGR from July 1, 2024; by the end of the summer, 2024 65 companies were registered. In 2025, LOPD is launched (5 years; 655 SBUs annually).

Online casinos: "gray zone" and offshore

1. No special law = no local licenses. There is no separate regulatory regime for online casinos/slots; operators do not receive local permits - therefore the market is de facto represented by offshore sites and applications.

2. Player access. According to local investigations in 2025, it is difficult to clearly track how many sites actually operate in the country: some work without registration, some are registered, but do not pay taxes. This confirms the semi-shadow nature of online.

3. Payments and UX. Players use bank cards, electronic wallets and crypto providers that serve international sites (the authorities do not report in detail on payment routes). This channel falls under the standard risks of CCM/bank checks and locks on AML cases. (The output is based on the gray online model, see sources above.)

Taxes and supervision: why bookmakers are "in white," but online casinos are not

Sports betting: the state purposefully extracts income from GGR and introduces the LOPD license (Min. del Deporte), forming an understandable "input price" and compliance framework.

Online casinos: without a specialized law, neither licensing nor local tax accounting is possible, so this segment remains outside the perimeter - and goes offshore. Hence the information asymmetry: SRI (tax) has statistics and registers for rates, and fragmented data for online casinos.

Player risks

Legal protections are weaker. In a dispute with an offshore operator, it is more difficult for a consumer to protect rights: there is no local license and a regulator that will enforce it.

Payment risks. Chargebacks/transaction locks are possible, as well as delays and withdrawal limits. (Typical gray online risk; confirmed by the difficulty of tracking operators in local press materials.)

Responsible play. The lack of national RG standards (self-exclusion, limits, local help lines) makes the operator's own tools - which are not uniform in the offshore model - important.

What changes in 2024-2025 and what not to hope for

Bookmakers: tax + license = more "white" integrations (club/league sponsorship, advertising, financial monitoring).

Online casinos: no signs of an imminent launch of national licensing specifically for online casinos. Even if the offline casino issue is put to a popular vote (and/or approved), it will not automatically open the door to online slots/roulette - a separate legislative architecture will be required.

Editorial Practice Guidelines

1. If you are a betting operator: prepare for LOPD, budget 655 SBU/year and build processes under 15% GGR (KYC/AML, RG, reporting). This is the "white" way.

2. If you are an online casino player: check the reputation of the offshore site, verification conditions and payment; Use moderate limits assess chargeback/lock risks. (The gray area is confirmed by local investigations.)

3. If you are an investor in iGaming: do not confuse online casinos and online betting - in Ecuador these are different worlds: the second is already going to the formal model, the first is not.

In the fall of 2025, online casinos in Ecuador remain outside special regulation, and players are accessed through offshore platforms. The state focused on whitewashing sports betting (15% GGR, license LOPD), but did not create "boxes" for online slots/roulette. The discussion about land-based casinos in the referendum is a separate topic and does not change the online status quo. For players and businesses, this means: lotteries and sports - "in white," online casinos - "as is," through offshore, with corresponding risks and uncertainty.

Sources: Press & Analyst Review for Ecuador (2011-2025): iGB, Yogonet, VIXIO, PRIMICIAS (Quito), Legal Clarifications by CorralRosales, etc. See citations for specific references.