Casinos in Costa Rica

Arguably the most visited tourist destination in the Central American region, Costa Rica is not only home to picturesque shorelines and spellbinding waterfalls but also to a bevy of land-based casinos.

The first thing that will strike your eye when you enter one of the local brick-and-mortar venues is the absence of the bustling dressed-up crowd inherent to fashionable places on the Strip or in Macau. Casinos here are cozy and pretty quiet, letting players enjoy their favorite games in a very relaxed atmosphere.

“Relaxed” would also be the most concise and precise description of the whole situation around Vegas-style entertainment in the country. Gambling here is officially illegal but there are exceptions and all land-based casinos legally operate under a special license from the Ministry of Public Security.

Casinos as a Boon for Tourism

Interestingly, Costa Rica was a kind of trailblazer in the Caribbean in terms of regulated betting activities, introducing the first rules for organizing games of chance back in 1886. To avoid any misunderstandings, residents of Costa Rica are prohibited from playing at casinos, both offline and online. But tourists or people with foreign passports are very welcome to have fun in San Jose or in the beach resorts they are staying.

According to the law, casinos can only be part of large hotels (3-star and up) or resorts that have at least 60 guest rooms – the number, which is enough to obtain a license for 10 tables and 60 slot machines. Every ten extra rooms provide an opportunity for one additional table while an extra slot machine can be received with each additional room.

By the way, most casinos take USD in addition to colones (CRC), the country’s national currency. American dollars are, otherwise, widely accepted in Costa Rica, just make sure to have smaller denominations of US dollars because larger bills may not be accepted or if they are, you will get change in colones. The value of CRC is subject to frequent fluctuation, but to give you an idea, $1 is worth approximately 500 colones.

While the opening hours of casinos in the country may vary from one place to another, the law says they can accommodate players from 3 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next day. Punters should be at least 18 years old to enter the premises and sit at a slot machine or poker table. One more thing specific to Costa Rica casinos, the law prohibits serving free alcoholic drinks as part of the responsible gambling strategy promoted by the government.

Popular Games in Costa Rica Casinos

As already mentioned, casinos in Costa Rica are generally smaller compared to what you may find in popular gambling destinations across the world, not to mention Las Vegas or Macau.

Do not expect to see super busy floors with endless rows of sleek cabinets and huge areas with green bean-shaped tables, although a handful of venues do offer more than a hundred slot machines. When it comes to table games, blackjack and poker make up the biggest part of the offering.

At the time of writing this text, no venue had a baccarat table while roulette could be found in quite a one-of-its-kind variant. Instead of using an old good roulette wheel to determine the lucky numbers, roulette games in Costa Rica use a lottery tumbler, but the essence sure does not change.

The great news is that when exploring this exotic travel destination and enjoying its beautiful nature and incredible wildlife, you can also discover new variants of your favorite card games. For instance, if you are a fan of blackjack, here you can try your hand at Rummy, a local variant of 21 with a special Tico feature.

Just like in classic blackjack, the goal is to get 21 or get maximally closer to the sought-after number without going overboard in the quest for the win. The Tico rule says that if the player gets the first three cards of the same suit, three of a kind or a straight, it is a rummy, which pays 2x bet. Things, however, can be even more exciting if those three cards nicely add up to the coveted 21, bringing the payout of 5x bet!

Speaking of poker, the two most widespread variants in Costa Rica are Caribbean Stud (which locals call Tute) and Pai Gow. By the way, despite what many think, Caribbean Stud was not a favorite pastime of pirates who lived on Tortuga in the 17th century. The game was invented only in the 1980s by a pro gambler and got its name simply because it was first played on a cruise boat in the Caribbean.

As for Pai Gow, the now worldwide popular poker variant was also invented by an American in 1985. The game has a truly captivating story behind it while its creator Sam Torosian went down in gambling history as a casino boss who could not cash in on its invention.

Gambling Legislation

Costa Rica cannot brag about a strong and comprehensive legislative base like one may find in other countries. In fact, all betting activities are regulated by two laws: Reglamento de Casinos de Juegos effected in 2008 and Ley de Impuesto a Casinos y Empresas de enlace de llamadas a apuestas electrónicas from 2012.

The latter is a pretty small document dedicated mainly to taxes that operators should pay for running their businesses. On the other hand, the former actually regulates the way land-based casinos can obtain their licenses and provide their services. The license is issued under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Security and the process is referred to as hassle-free and not expensive.

According to the laws, casinos can exist only as part of full-service hotels that have at least a 3-star category. Slot machines can be installed only in casinos, no separate parlors or slot clubs are allowed. The documents were created with the responsible gaming concept in mind, hence contain articles that help promote healthy gambling. Locals are forbidden from visiting casinos and participating in any real-money activities with random outcomes, except for the state lottery.