How Panama Quietly Became a Gambling Capital, and Where the Players Went Next
Panama transformed from state‑run casinos to a regulated online gambling hub, leveraging early legislation and a longstanding regulatory body.Summary
Panama began with state‑owned casinos overseen by the Junta de Control de Juegos since 1947, then privatized the industry in 1997 and enacted Law No. 2 in 1998 to set licensing rules. In 2002 the government approved Resolution 65 and passed an online gambling law, launching the first electronic gambling licence in 2003, which created a full ecosystem of servers, compliance staff, accountants and legal experts. This early, well‑regulated framework gave Panama a respected niche reputation in global gaming licensing, while the rise of mobile‑first platforms shifted gambling from physical venues to handheld devices, leaving traditional casino floors to serve a different, experience‑seeking audience, especially in historic districts like Casco Viejo.
(Source：Newsroom Panama)