Panama Licensed Casinos in 2026: How the Licence Works

We don’t currently list any open casinos that hold a Panama licence.

What a Panama licence means for players

Online gambling in Panama is licensed by the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ), the country's Gaming Control Board, which sits within the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Under its current internet gaming rules, in force since March 2020, an operator signs an administration and operation contract with the JCJ and receives a licence for each website, up to five per contract. Every licensed website must use a Panamanian .pa address, and the operator must keep an office and a call centre in Panama.

A JCJ-licensed site must:

Accept only players aged 18 or over and verify each player's legal name, address, age and nationality.
Let you set deposit, bet, loss and session limits, and offer self-exclusion for a minimum of two years.
Use a cryptographically secure random number generator and show each game's theoretical return, which cannot be below 80%.
Post a B/.100,000 bond, renewed every year, to guarantee prize payments to players.

The JCJ rules also say that no one holding a licence from another jurisdiction may operate or advertise online gambling in Panama. Because licences are issued per .pa website, a casino on a .com or .eu address cannot be running that site under a current Panama online licence.

Complaints and disputes

A licensed site must show a complaints icon linked to an email address supplied by the JCJ, through which players can take complaints to the regulator. The JCJ publishes no complaints procedure or timeframe, and Panama requires no independent dispute service. The JCJ has also said it will not protect players who gamble on unauthorised platforms.

Who runs the Panama licence

The Junta de Control de Juegos was created in 1947 and restructured in 1998, when its oversight was extended to gambling offered by electronic and other remote means. It runs gambling on behalf of the state, which licenses private operators through contracts. Its board is chaired by the Minister of Economy and Finance and includes the Comptroller General and a member named by the National Assembly.

Regulator: Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ)
Part of: Ministry of Economy and Finance, Panama
Rules: Decree-Law 2 of 1998 and JCJ Resolution 11 of 2020
Licensed websites: Panamanian .pa addresses only, one licence per site
Takes player complaints: By email from the licensed site
Independent dispute service: Not required

How to check a Panama licence

The JCJ does not publish a public list of its online licensees, so the website itself is the first check.

Check the web address. A JCJ online licence is issued for a .pa website, so a site on any other address is not operating that site under a Panama online licence.
In the footer, look for the Panamanian operating company, the JCJ resolution behind its licence, the JCJ logo and a complaints link to a @mef.gob.pa email address.
If you are unsure, email the JCJ at [email protected] and ask whether the company and that web address are licensed.

Official register: Junta de Control de Juegos page, Ministry of Economy and Finance.

A short history of the Panama licence

1947

The Junta de Control de Juegos is created under Panama's finance ministry.

1998

Decree-Law 2 restructures the JCJ and brings gambling offered by electronic and other remote means under its supervision.

2002

JCJ Resolution 65 sets out Panama's first rules for online gambling.

2020

Resolution 11 replaces them in March: licences are issued per .pa website, operators need an office and call centre in Panama, and existing operators get six months to comply.

2026

Law 527, published on 28 May, requires biometric identity and age checks on betting platforms and lets the JCJ order unlicensed gambling sites blocked.

Panama licence FAQ

Does Panama license online casinos?

Yes. Panama’s Gaming Control Board, the Junta de Control de Juegos, authorises online casinos and sportsbooks through an administration and operation contract under Resolution 11 of 2020. Each licence covers a specific website, and that website must use a Panamanian .pa address.

Is a casino on a .com site that says it is licensed in Panama telling the truth?

Under the JCJ’s 2020 rules, licences are granted per .pa website, and holders of licences from other jurisdictions may not operate or advertise in Panama. A .com or .eu casino claiming a Panama licence cannot be running that site under a current JCJ online licence.

How can I check whether a casino is really licensed in Panama?

The JCJ does not publish a list of online licensees, so start with the web address: a licensed site uses .pa and names its Panamanian operating company and the JCJ resolution behind its licence. If in doubt, email the JCJ at [email protected].

Can I complain to the Panama Gaming Control Board?

Licensed sites must show a complaints icon linked to an email address supplied by the JCJ. The JCJ publishes no complaints procedure or timeframe, there is no independent dispute service, and the JCJ has said it will not protect players who gamble on unauthorised platforms.

What protections must a Panama-licensed site give players?

Players must be 18 or over and have their identity verified, and each site must offer deposit, loss and time limits and self-exclusion of at least two years. Games must use a secure random number generator and show a theoretical return of at least 80%, and the operator must post a B/.100,000 bond to guarantee prize payments.