First casinos in Suriname

Shortly

The history of legal casinos in Suriname starts in 1962 in Paramaribo - the first casino in the country opened at Hotel Torarica. In those years, the market remained minimal: until 1997, only one casino actually operated in the country; then the "boom" of opening new sites began.

1) 1962: Torarica's first casino launches

Hotel Torarica (Paramaribo): sources record the opening of the hotel and casino on July 10, 1962; Torarica has long remained a symbol of the "first wave" of organized gambling in the country.

Material evidence of the era: Torarica tokens/tokens of the late 1960s are regularly found in collections - an independent confirmation of the active work of the casino in 1966-1968.

The Torarica group's print and corporate sources also refer to the founding in 1962, which correlates with museum/catalogue references.

2) Early neighbours: Palace Hotel and closure in the 1970s

Shortly after Torarica, the Palace Hotel opened its own casino (opposite the government palace), but the project did not survive the late 1970s: the site closed due to maintenance and renovation costs. This is confirmed by historical reviews and specialized publications about foreign operators of that period.

3) Long "pause": 1970s - 1990s

Despite the tourism potential, the casino market remained very small until the late 1990s. According to the international press, until 1997, the authorities of Suriname actually allowed the operation of only one casino (with a share of the state); only after that did the rapid increase in the number of objects begin.

4) 1997 +: Casino opening "boom"

The late 1990s and early 2000s brought serial discoveries: in just a few years, the number of casinos in Paramaribo and the surrounding area has multiplied. Guidebooks and industry catalogs of the early 2000s already record numerous objects in the capital, while back in the mid-1990s the landscape was almost monopoly.

5) From "pioneers" to the modern map

Today, several casinos operate in Paramaribo at once (including Princess/Paramaribo Princess, Atlantis, Magic Island, Elegance, Dice, etc.), and Torarica remains a historical landmark and hotel brand. Modern reference books and catalogs confirm the wide representation of halls and tables.

6) Regulatory context (milestones that are important to know)

In the 1960s, a basic admission to casinos at hotels was formed; the opening of Torarica in 1962 was the actual start of the industry.

By the end of the 1990s, there was a turn to the multi-site market (after 1997).

In 2023, Suriname adopted an updated basic law on gambling (Wet Hazardspelen), and in 2024 continued to adjust through by-laws - already in the logic of the digital age (accounting, RG/AML, online formats). This is the next stage of evolution compared to the "first wave" of the 1960s.

7) Route for history buffs (Paramaribo)

1. UNESCO embankment and historical center - where the urban tourist flow began; nearby are modern casinos and hotels.

2. Torarica Resort on the banks of the Suriname River is an "entry point" in the history of the first casino; around - colonial attractions (Fort Zealand, Presidential Palace).

3. Princess/other modern venues - to see what the scene has become since the late 1990s.

The chronology is simple and clear: Torarica (1962) → decades of a "quiet" market → explosive growth after 1997 and the transition to a modern multi-object casino map in Paramaribo. For industry and tourists, Torarica remains the "zero kilometer" of legal gambling in Suriname, and current regulatory reforms are already shaping the next chapter - digital and more transparent.