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While researching Costa Rica’s online gambling industry recently, it occurred to me that the country’s long history with online sports betting might seem nebulous to many gamblers. Costa Rica’s shorter history with online casinos and poker sites might be even more of a mystery.

Costa Rica is known as a haven for many online sportsbooks, casinos, and poker sites. Bookmaker Sports, BetCRIS, 5Dimes, and Heritage Sports are famous US-friendly online bookmakers which either are based in Costa Rica or were based there at one time.

The legality of online gambling in Costa Rica therefore might be confusing to some players. In fact, a recent article by a Costa Rican tourist site covered the subject and it seemed to confuse the matter somewhat. That is natural, because it took a government official to explain the law by analogy in 2016.

Costa Rican Land-Based Gambling

That article described Costa Rica as banning gambling. All games of chance are considered illegal, though that is not necessarily true. In fact, Costa Rica has 52 land-based casinos, including 19 brick-and-mortar casinos in San Jose alone. Most of these are inside hotels and resorts, such as Talamanca Hotel, Radisson Hotel, and several Fiesta Casino gaming operations inside hotels.

Costa Rica also has a national lottery, organized by Junta de Proteccion de San Jose. Beyond that, Costa Rica is home to over 300 online gambling sites, give or take a few at any given time.

Costa Rican Online Gambling

Despite that, online gambling is illegal in Costa Rica. That might be why the article writer for the Costa Rican tourism site believed gambling is illegal in their country. It is illegal for residents to gamble online. That’s why you’ll see sites like 5Dimes and Bookmaker Sports list Costa Rica as one of their few banned countries.

In many cases, players from most other countries are allowed to gamble from sites hosted in Costa Rica. Those sites agree not to sign up Costa Rican residents. Otherwise, they hire Costa Ricans to provide support and services, while paying taxes on their revenues. It makes sense.

CRIS and Ron Sacco

People might wonder how Costa Rica became an online gambling powerhouse. It actually began before online betting sites became widespread and mainstream. Ronald Sacco and the BetCRIS franchise is a big reason.

Ron “The Cigar” Sacco was one of the most famous handicappers in the United States in the 1980’s. Second in appearances only to Jimmy the Greek, Ron Sacco appeared on hundreds of TV shows as an expert sports bettor. That came to an end shortly after an ill-fated appearance on 60 Minutes, when the TV news/journalism show exposed his operation.

The Formation of BetCRIS

Sacco actually appeared on 60 Minutes and boasted of his skills. Combined with some investigative reporting that filled in the segment, Ron Sacco suddenly had a big target on his back. He was arrested by US authorities in 1994 and went to prison until 1998.

While Ron Sacco was in prison, the world changed. The Internet became a mainstream tool for US citizens. Online gambling became a favorite pastime for many Americans. Ron Sacco’s remaining crew joined with a man named Harry Craft, relocated to Costa Rica, and set up a successful international gambling operation called “Costa Rican International Sports” (CRIS).

By the time Sacco got out of prison, CRIS was a huge success. Over the next 4 years, it became the world’s most successful online sportsbook. Then Ron Sacco was extradited to the United States on an illegal passport charge in 2002. His highly-publicized 2003 trial proved to be free advertisement for BetCRIS.

2003 Ron Sacco Trial

At a time when online poker was exploding in popularity, massive numbers of Americans began to try their luck at online sports betting. While they were picking a site, US newspapers told the story of BetCRIS, which accepted huge sports bets and never missed a payment. The 2003 Ron Sacco trial became a huge windfall for BetCRIS.

Over the next few years, CRIS bought sites like Boomaker.com and paid out the players of other failed bookmaker sites. When the UIGEA was passed in 2006, it led to many online sportsbooks either selling out to BetCRIS or removing themselves to offshore online gambling havens. Costa Rica was the natural place to go.

Costa Rica: Online Gambling Haven

From 2007 to 2012, Costa Rica became a major hub for online gambling. One wave relocated to Costa Rica in 2007, to escape scrutiny due to the UIGEA. This included sites like 5Dimes and Bookmaker, along with software design companies like RealTime Gaming (RTG).

When the 2011 Black Friday scandal happened, more sites relocated to Costa Rica. Most of those were poker sites, but that led to the formation of new poker networks. Many online bookmakers launched their own card rooms. By that time, BetCRIS had relocated to Malta and catered to European sports bettors. Bookmaker Sports took all of BetCRIS’s American players and remained in Costa Rica.

2013 Costa Rica Gaming Control Board

Before 2013, online gaming operators paid a $5,000 permanent licensing fee, a $5,000 license renewal fee, and $500 additional yearly fee for legal costs. It was a sweet deal. In 2013, Costa Rica’s government suggested establishing a Costa Rica Gaming Control Board as part of the Finance Ministry.

The CRGCB would charge a $50,000 licensing fee, along with a 0.5% tax on revenues to pay for the control board. An additional 5% would be charged to help pay for enforcing crime. President Luis Guillermo Solis wanted to pass a gaming law, but it never came to pass. Therefore, a Costa Rica Online Gambling Company or Gaming Control Board never came into being.

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Gambling exists in a gray area, though Costa Rica remains a safe haven for companies. An incident in 2016 is a good example of how online gambling works in Costa Rica.

5Dimes Sportsbook in 2016

In March 2016, the U.S. Justice Department asked the Costa Rican government to look into claims that 5Dimes Sportsbook and Casino was breaking US online gambling laws by signing up US residents. 5Dimes Sportsbook is one of the top US-friendly online bookmakers and it hosts its servers in Costa Rica, like many international gaming sites do.

Costa Rica’s Office of Money Laundering‘s Deputy Prosecutor, Dr. Alvaro Montoya, told the US officials he would not do that. Montoya was quoted by Costa Rican publication La Nacion saying that 5Dimes is not doing anything illegal under Costa Rican law. In fact, 5Dimes pays taxes to the Costa Rican government.

To illustrate his point, Dr. Montoya said that Costa Rica is “hardly going to tax someone who commits a crime.”

Alvaro Montoya on Online Gambling

Alvaro Montoya added that he would work with US authorities if they came to him with “concrete charges” and material evidence that 5Dimes was laundering money, or if it was helping others launder money through their site. Money laundering is illegal under Costa Rican law, so Montoya would punish wrongdoers for any such financial crimes. This would apply to a range of crimes, such as “laundering money from drug trafficking”.

At the same time, he would not aid US authorities when they came to him with charges made “in the abstract”. If US officials claimed 5Dimes “might be” laundering money, then that is an abstract or hypothetical crime. Like any law enforcement agency, the Office of Money Laundering has limited resources and would not look for hypothetical crimes.

Costa Rican Sovereignty

In short, Costa Rica punishes real crimes that occur inside Costa Rica, as any sovereign country does. Costa Rica does not enforce US laws inside Costa Rica, if Costa Rican law does not consider those activities to be a crime. It is a sovereignty issue. It goes without saying, but the United States would not enforce Costa Rican law in the US, either.

Costa Rica is one of the friendlier countries in the world for online sports betting operators, and it offers a good variety of betting options for residents, visitors, and even for those living in other countries. Although land-based sports betting is not yet legal in Costa Rica, the country is widely considered to be one of the most progressive in terms of online legal sports betting. A number of major international online sportsbooks operate out of Costa Rica and that number could only increase in 2021.

The most popular sports to bet on in Costa Rica are soccer, baseball, and American football. Costa Rican sportsbooks offer betting odds on numerous sports leagues and events, both in the country and all over the world. No matter what you wish to bet on, there’s a good chance you’ll find it at a Costa Rican sportsbook. This page will act as a comprehensive guide to legal sports betting in Costa Rica, from the laws governing sports betting to how Costa Rican sports betting revenue is applied, to the best sportsbooks to use for players in Costa Rica.

The Biggest Offshore Sportsbook In Costa Rica Resorts

Costa Rica Sports Betting Laws

Costa Rica is interesting in that land-based sports betting is fully illegal but its online sports betting laws are some of the most welcoming in the world. As a result, major online sportsbooks like Bovada and SportsBetting often base their operations in Costa Rica. It is also legal for players located in Costa Rica to bet online with sportsbooks based in other countries. Costa Rica’s stance on online sports betting is so firm that in 2012 Costa Rican courts overrode the U.S. government by refusing to investigate American bettors placing wagers with Bovada, citing national sovereignty. The brick-and-mortar sports betting omission is unfortunate, but overall Costa Rica has some of the most forgiving sports betting laws in the world.

Where To Bet On The Super Bowl In Costa Rico

With online sportsbooks readily available to players anywhere in Costa Rico, betting on the Super Bowl won’t be an issue. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events every year and online sportsbooks offer betting lines all year for the Big Game. It is extremely simple to log onto a book like Bovada and put down the best Super Bowl bet in Costa Rico. Whether you’re betting the favorite team to win the SB or even just exploring the betting line and player props for the Super Bowl, online sportsbooks allow you to make it happen, with live betting options as well.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Costa Rica?

Yes, online sports betting is fully legal. Players both from Costa Rica and from all over the world can legally bet on sports using Costa Rican sportsbooks. Costa Rica residents can also legally bet online with sportsbooks based in other countries as well. Popular betting options for online sports betting include live, in-play wagering, prop bets, money lines, and more. Even if you live outside Costa Rica, particularly in the U.S., betting with a Costa Rican sportsbook is not a prosecutable crime. The online sports betting industry in the country is thriving and only looks to be primed for more growth in the coming years.

Costa Rica Sports Betting Markets

Costa Rica is a small country, and it has only three cities with more than 50,000 residents:

• San José
• Puerto Limón
• San Francisco

These three cities account for 450,000 of Costa Rica’s nearly 5 million people, and are the primary markets for online sports betting. In terms of actual sports leagues that Costa Ricans might choose to bet on, the most popular league in the country is Liga FPD, the top division of Costa Rican (* soccer https://www.legalsportsbetting.com/soccer/ *). Costa Rica is still riding the high of its eight-place finish at the 2014 World Cup, and that has bolstered the popularity of the sport throughout the country. The country’s three top clubs are Deportivo Saprissa, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, and Club Sport Herediano, which have accounted for a combined 92 of Liga FPD’s 111 total championships. The two biggest provinces for sports betting by far are San José and Alajuela.

Where Costa Rica Sports Betting Revenue Goes

Another big incentive for sports betting operators in Costa Rica is that the country only taxes sports betting revenues at a rate of two percent—far below the rate of similar taxes in other countries and municipalities. This money goes toward a lump sum for the federal government of Costa Rica, where it is applied toward various budgetary needs. With few gamblers in the country and even fewer wealthy gamblers, revenues are predictably low for domestic sports betting. They are heavily supplemented, however, by gambling activity from players in other countries betting online with sportsbooks based in Costa Rica.

Legal Costa Rica Betting Sites

The most popular legal Costa Rica betting sites are legal throughout the world. They accept players from Costa Rica, from other Central American countries, and even from the United States. There are numerous legal betting sites in Costa Rica, but the best ones offer comprehensive 24/7 customer support, a wide selection of betting options, big deposit bonuses, and top-notch security for personal and financial data. Whether you are betting on a desktop computer or a mobile device, legal betting is always only a few clicks away in Costa Rica.

Bovada – All US States Accepted – Except NV, NJ, MD, And DE

Sometimes players try to decide which is the better online sportsbooks to sign up for. There is no doubt that Bovada is to of the charts and has everything that all players need when it comes to placing wagers on their favorite teams and players. Coming with the prop bets that are offered come the bonuses that would help players get in other betting opportunities. This is where Bovada takes off as there is always new bonuses and promotions that will pop up all the time. So making sure you are 18 and older and signing up for one of the better online sportsbooks will not be a problem at all.

Why are so many sportsbooks based in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica offers very forgiving laws and favorable conditions for online sports betting operators. Sites like Bovada can base their operations in Costa Rica while still offering legal sports betting to bettors in dozens of other countries. In general, Central America and the Caribbean are a hotbed for the sports betting industry.

How does currency exchange work with Costa Rican sportsbooks?

The easiest way to manage money with Costa Rican sportsbooks is to use cryptocurrency, which is valid in every country and does not require currency exchange. Most such sportsbooks accept major global currencies like dollars and euros, but for more niche currencies, look at e-wallet services that come with built-in exchange software.

Can you bet on sports in every province in Costa Rica?

Online sports betting is legal in all seven provinces of Costa Rica. Brick-and-mortar sports betting isn’t legal in any of them, but with the wide array of online sports betting options available throughout the country, that shouldn’t be a big concern. Mobile sports betting is likewise legal in all seven provinces.

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Are tourists allowed to bet in Costa Rica?

All bettors who are at least 18 years old can legally bet online in Costa Rica. Additionally, 18-year-old bettors in many other countries can also legally bet with Costa Rican sportsbooks. Whether you are living in the country full-time or simply visiting for a few days or weeks, as long as you are on Costa Rican soil, Costa Rican law applies.

Why doesn’t Costa Rica have casino sports betting?

The Biggest Offshore Sportsbook In Costa Rica Colones

Historically, gambling has been illegal in Costa Rica, and that only began to change recently as the country adopted a laxer attitude toward online gambling. Laws are slowly changing, so brick-and-mortar sports betting could still be on the horizon, especially as Costa Rica looks for new ways to monetize the gambling industry.

The Biggest Offshore Sportsbook In Costa Rica

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