The legality of online gambling in Spain, Colombia, and Ecuador

Although the Internet is universal and has greatly democratized access to information and entertainment, not all digitized sectors operate in the same way regardless of the country. Each nation has its own regulations. Thus, what is possible in one country is not possible in another. To keep you abreast of the situation, below we compare the legal status of the online gaming industry in three of the most important Spanish-speaking markets: casinos online Colombia, Spain, and Ecuador.

Welcome bonuses have been banned in Spain for a couple of years now. This has made online casinos and sportsbooks in the country less attractive. However, Latin America has an advantage, since in countries such as Colombia, promotions for new customers are completely legal. Thanks, in fact, to the Colombian version of Sr.Casino, you can instantly access an overview of the most attractive platforms in this regard.

On the other hand, both in Spain and in Colombia gambling houses are totally legal (in the coffee country, thanks to Coljuegos). However, in Colombia political betting is prohibited, something that does not happen, for example, in Spain. There is no differentiation in casino games, where live options take practically all the attention. However, the range of options and software providers is much wider in the European versions than in the Latin American ones.

The main difference between online casinos in Colombia and Spain and those in Ecuador lies in regulation. Currently, Ecuador does not have a solid and clear regulatory framework. This does not mean that it is illegal to bet on sports and online casino games throughout Ecuador. As it is an illegal situation, it is the international .com domains that dominate the market and inspire more confidence.

Since Ecuador is dollarized, in this sense it is not a problem. That is to say, although there are no national domains, proper of the Ecuadorian network since the country does not have its own currency, it is possible to bet in the best online casinos in dollars without any problem. Of course, this lack of regulation, although it gives access to many more options than in countries that do not lack it, somewhat unprotects the user, who has different support from the institutions in case of a setback compared to Spain or Colombia.

Some of the differences in Spain with respect to Ecuador and Colombia are as follows:

• As we have previously pointed out, welcome bonuses are prohibited in Spain.
• In both Colombia and Spain, regulated platforms do not offer bets on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. In Ecuador, this is not yet hindered due to the lack of regulation.
• Advertising of online casino games is heavily restricted, and limited to certain content and schedules.
• In Spain and Colombia all or some .com domains are blocked. However, it is possible to access platforms, for example, Asian ones, through VPN, since they are not illegal.

What the three countries do agree on, although with nominal differences, is the obligation to declare profits and, if necessary, pay the respective taxes.