Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Registration (not a license)
Local License:
-
Population growth:
Internet users:
Urbanization:
82,6%
Languages in the country:
Spanish - 100%
Age structure:
0-14 years - 18.8%
15-64 years old - 70.2%
65 years and older - 11.1%
Middle age:
Total - 35.5
Men - 34.9
Women - 36.1
Literacy:
Total - 98%
Men - 98%
Women - 98.1%
Real GDP:
2021 - $122.15 billion.
2022 - $127.71 billion.
2023 - $134.238 billion.
Real GDP growth:
2021 - 7.94%.
2022 - 4.55%.
2023 - 5.11%.
GDP per capita:
2021 - $23,700
2022 - $24,700
2023 - $25,800
Top payment systems
Слоты по доли рынка
Affiliates receiving traffic
More about gambling regulation
Costa Rica does not have a specialized body that regulates gambling. There are also no laws that explicitly prohibit or allow online gambling.
Nevertheless, the government allows gambling operators to operate in the country and even issues conditional licenses. However, the companies must comply with the rule that prohibits them from providing online casino services to local residents.
The lack of proper regulatory oversight and additional taxes in the sector attracts operators. And the country's proximity to major global iGaming markets and well-developed infrastructure allow gambling companies in Costa Rica to effectively serve a wide base of players.
Under such circumstances, Costa Ricans are obviously using offshore platforms and actively playing online casinos. Although the country's legislature is seeking to pass new laws to ensure proper regulation of the gambling industry, so far no bill has progressed beyond the discussion stage.
About blocking and liability
Medium
Legislation:
Ambiguous / requires verification
The activity of the authorities:
Medium
Risk of harassment of non-residents:
Low
The risk in entering the country:
Low
Risk of extradition to the country:
Low
Precedents (against non-residents):
No data
Comment on the level of risk:
Costa Rica: Current assessment is preliminary - local inspection is recommended. Work can be done with caution unless there are explicit prohibitions. Risk of extradition to the country is low, requests are rare.
Blask.com data - index and top brands
Indicates the aggregate level of engagement and interest in all brands in a country. This indicator serves as a barometer for the iGaming industry and combines various indicators to give an overview of trends and changes in the market.
Top brands in the country according to the Blask.com service
| DoradoBet | 83.88% |
| Bet365 | 8.34% |
| 1win | 2.47% |
| Stake | 1.61% |
| 1xBet | 1.12% |
*BAP (Brand's Accumulated Power) - accumulated brand power, reflects the brand's share of consumer interest in the online gambling market. The relative presence of a brand in a country. The BAP graph is presented below:
Data for the section is provided by the analytical service Blask.com.. At the moment, the service's database contains information on more than 80+ countries and more than 2500 brands.
Gambling in the country
The population of the country is more than 5.1 million people. Currently, 84.5% of the population lives in urban areas.
The average age is 32 years. The average life expectancy is 81 years.
The literacy rate (ability to read and write) among youth aged 15 to 24 years is 99.32% and among adults is 98%.
As of early 2024, the population had the following age distribution:
Most Costa Ricans are of European descent, as the country was long a Spanish colony. 88% are European descendants and mestizos, 6.8% are mulattos, 2.9% are Native Americans, 1.3% are black or Afro-Caribbean, and 1% are Indians.
Language: The official language is Spanish. The second most common language is English.
Religion: Catholics - 75%, Protestants - 15%, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists - less than 5%, the rest - do not identify themselves with any religion.
Major cities: San José (capital), Cartago, Alajuela, Puerto Limón, Liberia.
Currency: Costa Rican Column (CRC). 100 CRC = $0.20.
The poverty rate has been steadily decreasing from year to year due to the growth of employment among residents. However, the wage gap between different social groups (by gender, nationality and level of education) is widening.
According to a recent report by the Costa Rican Institute for Economic Research, the overall poverty rate decreased by 1.4% from last year to 20.5% in May 2024.
The poverty rate in urban areas decreased from 20.1% in May 2023 to 18.5% in May 2024. In rural areas, from 26.6% to 25.8% over the same period.
The unemployment rate is 6.59% as of the third quarter of 2024, down from the previous value of 8.53% for the same period.
The average wage is from $800 and the minimum wage is from $600.
The arrival of Spanish colonizers in the sixteenth century had a profound impact on Costa Rican history. The Spanish brought with them customs, traditions and language that blended with the culture of the indigenous peoples of the region.
Costa Rican culture is based on the philosophy of «Pura Vida» or «Pure Life». «Pura Vida is a reflection of the nation's optimistic outlook, the ability to live in the moment.
Costa Rica is home to approximately 5% of the world's biodiversity. Therefore, the inhabitants value their nature very much.
In Costa Rican culture, red represents life and green represents prosperity.
The horse symbolizes strength and luck, so some families keep these animals as a sign of status. Also, in many homes, you can still see a horseshoe above the front door.
Most Costa Ricans carry amulets with them. For example, a frog amulet is associated with abundance and is considered a good omen for those starting a new business.
Also an image or statuette of Niguenta, a seated girl, is in every home. It is a symbol of good luck.
In general, people in Costa Rica are quite trusting.
The country allows a national lottery, offline casinos operating only in hotels, and online sports betting.
Costa Rica has no regulatory framework for online casinos. However, gambling operators are allowed to operate in the state provided that their transactions are not processed by local banks, and they do not offer their services to residents of the country. As Costa Ricans are legally prohibited from playing at online casinos.
The government does not issue a license in the traditional sense: companies are granted permission to process data. It allows the implementation of both offline and online gambling formats (casino, sports betting, poker, lottery), with the exception of offline bookmakers, which are also prohibited.
To legally operate in the state, gambling companies need to have a physical office in Costa Rica and a resident of the country as a legal representative.
The cost of data processing authorization is between $7 thousand and $15 thousand, but it is worth considering the additional costs of company registration in Costa Rica, associated administrative costs and other.
Although there are no specific gambling levies, there are tax obligations that all legal entities must fulfill.
Permit applications are reviewed by the country's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Economy and then submitted to local authorities for review.
By the end of 2024, online gambling revenue is expected to reach $167.9 million and online betting revenue is expected to reach $88.71 million.
It is projected that by the beginning of 2029, online casino revenue will be $220.40 million and online sports betting revenue will be $117.8 million.
ARPU (average product revenue per player): $640 per year.
At the beginning of 2024, there were 4.84 million internet users and internet penetration reached 92.5%.
The average speed of wireless connection via Wi-Fi is 10.87 Mbps.
The average speed of mobile Internet connection is 60.96 Mbps.
Volume of device utilization:
Popular Web Applications: YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Messenger.
In January 2024, there were 3.86 million social media users.
Number of active users at the beginning of 2024:
The most popular sports in Costa Rica are soccer, American soccer and baseball.
In online casinos, slots take a leading position. Slots with carnival themes, traditional Costa Rican music especially attract locals.
Costa Ricans also enjoy card games. For example, rummy, which is similar to blackjack, but with some differences in the rules.
In addition, residents prefer Caribbean Stud Poker, or «Toute» as they call it, and pai gow poker. Then there is roulette and classic blackjack.
In general, themes related to the myths and legends of Latin America effectively attract both Costa Ricans and players from the neighboring countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico.
Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Registration (not a license)
Local License:
-
About the population of the country
Official Language:
Spanish
Believers:
79 %
Second Religion:
Basic information about the country
Name of country:
Costa Rica
Code (2-digit):
CR
Continent:
North America
Capital:
San Jose
Area of the country:
51,100 square kilometers.
Phone Code:
506
Currency (currency code):
Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Geographical features of the country
Province (7): Alajuela, Guanacaste, Cartago, Limón, Puntarenas, San José, Heredia.
The present-day territory of the country was partially or fully occupied by the following states: Spanish Empire, Mexican Empire, Federation of Central America.
Costa Rica is washed by seas: Caribbean Sea.
Costa Rica has access to lakes: Arenal.
There are rivers running through the area: Siksaola.
Costa Rica owns the islands: Calero, Brava, Chira, Penitencia, Tortuguero, Coco, Palma.
Mountains within the country: Chirippo Grande, Ventisqueros, Pyramide, Terbi, Sureste, Camuc, La Muerte, Frio, Sakira, Arenal.
Volcanoes are present in the area: Arenal.
Discussions on country characteristics
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