Costa Rica Gambling License 2025

Do you want to open an online gambling business in Costa Rica? We have prepared the “Company & Gambling License in Costa Rica” package, which will cover everything you may need for a speedy, lawful, and trouble-free set-up. It includes company registration, preparation of the application, legal costs, plus support with insurance for €9,900. You will have the best support from start to finish, with no hidden fees or surprises.

By choosing our service, you tap into Costa Rica’s very business-friendly environment-where low regulation, no gambling taxes, and the ability to operate crypto casinos make it an ideal jurisdiction for startups and established operators alike.

Ready to kickstart your gambling venture in one of the most cost-effective and flexible regulatory environments? Get in touch today and let’s make it happen!

Gaming Law Background in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican gambling laws are based on French and Spanish civil law. Although gambling services cannot be provided in Costa Rica, hundreds of registered gambling businesses operate internationally. This is an ideal jurisdiction for startups that want to test and iterate quickly in a friendly environment. Getting a Costa Rica gambling license makes starting up and operating very easy.
Although it does not have a specific law on gambling, the membership of Costa Rica in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development boosts its reliability and adherence to international standards, hence instilling investor confidence.

Costa Rica is not included in the FATF List of Countries that have strategic AML Deficiencies and are not Compliant with the FATF 40 Recommendations and other FATF Recommendations. According to the FATF its progress in addressing the deficiencies so far is substantial, allowing the international community to trust operators from it.

Benefits of Operating a Gambling Company in Costa Rica

• Stable Economy: Costa Rica has a stable economy, along with very low crime rates. This means that as a businessman, you work in a secure, predictable environment.
• Non-Offshore Status: Costa Rica is not considered an offshore jurisdiction, and this helps in maintaining credibility with partners in the US and other countries.
• Regulatory Flexibility: The government does not actively regulate the gambling businesses, which enables one to try out and iron out the kinks of his business concept without undue restriction or high fees placed on them by other jurisdictions around the world.
• No Gambling Taxes: The country does not tax any income earned outside its borders, and no corporate taxes are imposed on gambling businesses if residents of Costa Rica are not taken as customers.
• Crypto Payment Support: Via a gambling enterprise, one can make various types of payment integrations available, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. This, therefore, opens perspectives on the operation of crypto casinos, which recently started to gain high popularity.
• Minimal Entry Barriers: No testing of gambling software is required, and due diligence is minimal. Fewer documents are prepared for regulators, which quickens the pace of setting up. Further simplification of entry and facilitation to smoothen the launch of operations arise with the obtainment of the Costa Rica gambling license.

Costa Rica Gambling Regulations

However, no particular regulatory framework was issued for gambling business activities, nor was a supervising authority designated solely for those activities in Costa Rica. The usual supervising entities would be the local government authorities—municipalities or city halls—which would oversee that kind of business concerning compliance with the general local legislation. Costa Rican law forbids its residents to participate in online gambling activities, while land-based casinos are allowed on the premises of hotels.

With respect to the national legislation of Costa Rica, for example, online gambling is an activity taking place at the place where the transactions between players and operators are being processed, i.e. at the place of residence of players, not at the place where the gambling operator is located. It follows, therefore, that these online gambling businesses will be able to function within Costa Rica in cases where all their transactions are not routed through the banks of Costa Rica and also do not offer any gaming activities to the residents of Costa Rica. In such scenarios, these entrepreneurs will establish a gambling company in Costa Rica, which is to be used only for approaching gamers outside the country’s border and for such cases, they have to follow the general legislation. A Costa Rica gambling license will help in easier set up and functioning of such firms, providing an easier way towards compliance.

Following are the applicable legislations:

• National Anti-Money Laundering Regulations
• Unusual Transactions Act
• Counter-Terrorism Financing Regulations
• Know-Your-Customer Policies
• The Criminal Code
• The Code of Commerce

Top online casinos in Costa Rica

Сosta Rica Gambling license and Data Processing License for an Online Casino

There is no Gambling License in Costa Rica, but for running a gambling business from Costa Rica, you will need a Data Processing License. It does only suggest that the licensed company is capable of processing data. The license is issued by the local government authority, which is the municipality. The Data Processing License will enable you to host servers in Costa Rica, operate those activities such as crypto casinos, online poker, online slots, sports betting, and others, and also provide services of gambling software to gambling businesses.

Within the Data Processing License, there are 2 possible office rentals:

• Permanent: The instance where you are forced to retain the license permanently, and in that regard, leasing of office space has to be paid annually to retain your office space.
• Temporary: The same as permanent but only office leasing is made for 6 months in order to get the license, and once the license is issued, the client stops renting the office space. Getting a gambling license of Costa Rica during this period will be able to make your gambling business setup simple and faster.

Requirements of Applicants for Data Processing License of Costa Rica

It requires the forming of an operative company in Costa Rica. Also, it is one of the main requirements for getting a Data Processing License. In regard to an online casino company, you shall not be a citizen of Costa Rica or any other country that forbids online casinos, or otherwise regulates them. Neither shall you offer such gambling activities or sell them to residents of Costa Rica nor to those countries where such activities are forbidden.

This would defeat the observation of non-compliance, and thus, any fines. However, at the time of incorporation, the purpose of the company has to be made very clear, that the aim of the company is to sell online gambling services outside Costa Rica. Also, to be extra careful, in those countries, the IP addresses should also be blocked to prevent residents of those countries from accessing your gambling website.

You must also understand that, aside from a registered local office, the casino site host server and all the data has to be located within Costa Rica, which will also determine the municipality where you will need to obtain a Data Processing License. Requirements for licensing might vary a bit in different municipalities. In case you want to find out what municipality in Costa Rica corresponds best to the organization and conduction of your gambling business, then don’t hesitate to contact us here at Regulated United Europe, offering an individual consultation.

Costa Rica

Capital	Population	Currency	GDP
San José	5,204,411	CRC	$ 24,837

How to Start a Gambling Business in Costa Rica

Several types of business legal structures exist in Costa Rica, suitable for different models. Incorporating a business takes 2-3 weeks, which includes preparing documents.

One important thing to note, first and foremost, is that not having a gambling regulatory framework and not having a license could mean that such gambling companies operating in Costa Rica are barred from opening a merchant account or partnering with conventional payment processing companies facilitating such settlement payments as credit cards. Banks do not allow any unregulated gambling company an account with them in Costa Rica. If you want to open a crypto-based gambling business among the most popular online gaming trends, then read on since a Costa Rican company is one of the most viable options for you.

According to the Code of Commerce from 1964, you can settle either on one of the following kinds of legal forms:

• Company (Sociedad Anónima)
• Limited Liability Company (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada)
• Joint-Stock Company (Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones)
• Individual Limited Liability Company (Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada)
• General Partnership (Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo)
• Limited Partnership (Sociedad en Comandita Simple)

There are several considerable advantages of incorporation of a Corporation or Limited Liability Company in Costa Rica:

• No initial authorized share capital requirements
• No limitations in relation to company shareholders – non-residents can own 100% of the company
• No restrictions or high requirements for directors
• Extremely fast process of company incorporation
• Low cost of company incorporation
• Perfectly suitable for crypto gambling companies because according to the legislation, a minimum wage should be paid in fiat currency, but everything above the minimum wage can be paid in virtual currencies

Strongest Main requirements for a Costa Rican company

• The company has to have either a legal representative or a local registration agent
• At least 2 shareholders
• Resident office in Costa Rica

The legal representative is responsible for representing the company in all legal matters and signing its operational activities. Maintaining good standing, along with having efficient operations, is under the Legal Representative’s ownership. If any legal matter is related to the company, then the legal representative will be personally responsible.

To be able to apply for the above position, one is required to be a citizen of the Republic of Costa Rica or a foreigner with a valid visa to reside in Costa Rica permanently. If the representative of the said company does not reside in Costa Rica, then the company is duty-bound to appoint a resident agent who should be a lawyer from Costa Rica and a resident as well with residence in Costa Rica, and his duty shall consist of receipt of legal and administrative notices on behalf of the company.

To incorporate a company, you need to prepare the following documents:

• Notarized Articles of Incorporation
• Notarized powers of attorney for the company registration granted in front of a Costa Rican notary
• Notarized photocopies of the passports of shareholders and directors
• Certificates of authorized residence from the Costa Rican Immigration Department if founders are foreigners
• Proof of office address in Costa Rica – office lease contract
• Health permit from the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica
• Workers insurance policy

The official national language is Spanish, and thus you are expected to provide documents in the Spanish Language. In case you need Sworn translation services, contact us here at Regulated United Europe, and we will be happy to help find the most time- and cost-efficient solution for you.

Once you have chosen a legal form for your business, the basic steps of a Costa Rica company formation will include checking and reserving a name compliant with requirements, preparation of documents, specifically those that are required, opening an external trading account for conducting business with clients, due diligence checks with the persons involved, and the payment of the company formation fees.

• Apply to the Costa Rican Registry of Legal Entities
• File a shareholders’ agreement in the Costa Rican Registry of Legal Entities
• Register with the tax authorities by filing a D-140 form and get an NIT, or unique tax identification number (Número de Identificación Tributaria), for the company
• In accordance with OECD standards, file the Ultimate Beneficial Owner Declaration with the Central Bank of Costa Rica
• Register your company as an employer with the Costa Rican Social Security Agency
• National insurance and occupation risk insurance will also be applied for

When the documents are received by the Registry, the registration of a new company in 24-48 hours is indeed much faster than anywhere else in the world.

You will also consider that the Declaration of the Ultimate Beneficial Owner consists of identity details, contact information, capital, types of shares, and quantity. There is the registry platform that is secured and not available for public use.

The shareholders’ agreement shall include the following:

• Information about the appointment of a legal representative
• Purposes, capital information, and senior managers who are competent to manage the company
• A solemn declaration of acceptance of the law in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Consulate at the place of origin certifies all documents and further registers them in Costa Rica in order to achieve the local legal certificate.

GAMBLING LICENSE IN COSTA RICA

Why You Should Open a Crypto Casino in Costa Rica

By definition, a crypto casino is an online gambling website where gamers can deposit, pay with, and withdraw cryptocurrencies. Operating a crypto casino gives you the opportunity to reach new markets and audiences since this form of online gaming is still at its development stage and hasn’t reached its full potential.

Crypto casinos come along with their advantages:

• Get access to clients from any part of the world
• Transaction speed and security
• Low transaction fees
• More games will mean more and more gamers

In addition to the usual steps of company incorporation, you have to choose a reliable gaming software provider and then implement crypto payment processing. While there are no requirements on gambling software imposed by Costa Rican local authorities, some time should be spent laying down the technological foundation that will deliver good user experiences and won’t cause any legal issues. We can guide you with all legal issues in the process of setting up a crypto casino, which makes your company formation journey frictionless and clear.

How to get a license in Costa Rica

Once one has incorporated a company in Costa Rica, he or she can apply for a Data Processing License. The data processing license is issued by the municipality in which your company will operate. The process is really smooth and takes around 5 working days if all the documents are ready. The list of the documents to be produced includes Articles of Incorporation, a business plan, and identification documents of shareholders and directors.

Primarily, the steps to a Data Processing License are as follows:

• In addition to the legal incorporation documents, you would need to demonstrate that your business has in place AML/CFT internal procedures and policies in line with the applicable law.
• You have to file an online application to the municipality in Spanish.
• In general parameters, the municipality will be entitled to access your gaming operation to perform an on-site inspection for the purpose of checking for consistency with ordinary standards of business.

General Licensee Requirements

Since there are no specific requirements related to gambling, the Costa Rican companies are bound to adhere to the general legislation concerning the operations of any business. The general requirements are pretty extensive but as manageable as in other similar jurisdictions. A compliance audit is regularly conducted by the local government authority with the aim of ensuring that a gambling company adheres to all the conditions of the granted license.

Notably, casinos in Costa Rica are covered by national AML/CFT legislation. Basic AML/CFT requirements follow the rule applying vis-à-vis other OECD countries in this respect, in so far as obliged entities are expected to demonstrate their capability of keeping records of customer identities, monitoring customers for money laundering and financing of terrorism, and reporting suspicious transactions to the competent authorities. It is indispensable that casinos in Costa Rica apply the know your client policy, or KYC for short – a set of practices and policies whereby businesses may know who their clients are and verify and monitor the financial operations that they participate in with regard to the risks and practices in money laundering and terrorism financing.

You should also consider that gambling companies in Costa Rica have accounting books to be maintained according to the national law. According to the Commercial Code, such accounting records are to be maintained in the Spanish language. Such accounting books should be maintained on a general ledger, daily journal, inventory, and results of each day. It is mandatory that the book of minutes of the shareholders’ meetings and the book recording the registration of the shareholders be in Spanish.

The Costa Rican company should store the record of each player’s deposit with the operator, including all the financial and bet transactions. The Gaming systems, which include back-end software logs, have to be accessible for third-party auditors. The gaming rules, the results of the games, and the pay-out are to be made available to the local government authority for 5 years.

After all, since the gambling businesses of Costa Rica are unregulated, there isn’t a serious demand about advertising, responsible gambling, and so on, as is generally accustomed in jurisdictions that have a license to operate gambling and a strong regulatory framework. This approach lets it be flexible for gambling businesses that are just starting or still testing and iterating on their business idea.

Our team here at Regulated United Europe will be glad to assist you with company incorporation and the application for an equivalent of a gambling license in Costa Rica. With dedicated legal advisors, tax experts, and financial accountants at your side, you’ll find the incorporation and application processes quite easy, without frictions, and completely transparent. For a personal consultation, do not hesitate to contact us now and set the stage for your long-lasting success.

Then, there are those lawyers from Regulated United Europe offering their legal services for obtaining a crypto license.