Best 52 Online Casino​s in Bolivia

Bolivia is a country located in South America. Its official name is the Plurinational State of Bolivia. This is a constitutionally unitary state that is divided into nine departments. Additionally, its population is known as a multi-ethnic society as there are Europeans, Asians, Africans, Amerindians, and Mestizos among the residents.

As a sovereign state, Bolivia borders Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest and Peru to the northwest. What’s interesting about Bolivia is that one-third of the country is within the Andean mountain range, it is the fifth-largest country in South America, and even though Spanish is the official language, 36 indigenous languages also have official status.

Even though Bolivia is labelled as the second poorest country in South America, in terms of GDP, this country has the fastest growing economy. Hence, Bolivia is among the developing countries and some of the main economic activities here include mining, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing goods like textile, refined petroleum, clothing, and refined metals, and forestry.

As for the gambling industry, this activity has had a pretty rocky relationship with the government of Bolivia throughout the years. There have been times when gambling was illegal, but during the late 90s the laws started loosening and gambling was finally made legal in 2002. The reason for its legalization is that Bolivia saw massive potential in this industry as its residents, as well as tourists, were really fond of playing these games.

There are tons of economic benefits that came by legalizing it and since Bolivia is a developing country, every industry that will provide an extra for the budget is welcomed. More people started getting jobs, so the employment rate started rising, and since casinos need to pay taxes on revenues, the budget of the country was starting to increase.

The online gambling industry/online casinos started becoming popular around 2015, and research has shown that Bolivians are more than happy to access these sites and play the latest casino games. Even though there are no specific laws that regulate online gambling, hence this activity is perceived as illegal, the Bolivian government will not pursue any player that decides to register and play at an off-shore site. The strict gambling laws seem to only apply to land-based gambling. That is why Bolivian players are free to access any online casino of their choosing, at any time and place.

As stated earlier, the Bolivian government has had a pretty rocky relationship with the gambling industry. At first, all types of gambling activities were considered illegal from 1938 to 1996. In 1996, the Bolivian government finally acknowledged the fact that by legalizing gambling, they will have certain economic benefits. Tax money and a better employment rate were some of those benefits.

So, they decided to loosen the restrictions by making gambling partially legal. Around 200 operators were given temporary licenses to offer their services to the people in 1996. Not only that, but slot machines were also legalized but as a state monopoly.

Following the success of this regulation, Bolivia decided to loosen the laws even more and officially legalized casino gambling. However, things didn't go as they planned. Bolivia became a prime target for investments of this type, with Russians especially targeting this market due to the loose regulations. This forced the government to completely ban Russian gambling and closed casinos overnight in 2009.

Due to these unfortunate events, the Bolivian government decided that the need for stricter regulations was necessary, which is something they did in 2011. The new gambling law made operating in this industry much more difficult but was supported by casino operators, even though many changes were made. One of the biggest ones was the tax change – casino operators were required to pay much higher taxes.

The Gaming Control Authority was in charge of overseeing and regulating all gambling-related activities. Finally, even though the 2011 changes were detailed, they did not contain anything relevant to online gambling.

These days, Bolivians are free to play casino games at both land-based and online casinos. Land-based casinos are well-regulated which means that the players are more than welcome to go to these facilities and enjoy the games. Authority of Taxation and Social Control Over Gaming Board is the body that is in charge of licensing and regulating casinos.

As for online gambling, the law has no specific regulations about this activity. Due to the lack of regulations, it is considered to be an illegal activity, but the good thing is that the government is very lenient towards it. That is why they do not pursue and penalize their residents when they decide to visit off-shore sites, register, and play there. Additionally, off-shore sites are also welcome to provide their services to Bolivian players.

The future of online casinos in Bolivia is looking bright. The government has shown some interest in making changes to the law. The new changes are supposed to regulate the industry much better, which is a win-win situation for both the government and the players.

The government will be able to reap all the benefits of the legal online casino industry and profit off of it, while the players will be safer when accessing these sites. When regulating online casinos, all governments create systems that ban unlicensed online casinos, and that is what it is expected from the Bolivian government to do.

The casino industry went through several progress steps before it was finally legalized. Between 1938 and 1996, this activity was considered illegal. Then, in 1996, the laws were loosened and over 200 operators were provided with licenses. The law was then updated in 2002, but after several complications with Russian investments, the government decided to amend it and apply stricter regulations, like higher taxes – a law which was supported by casino operators.

So, as of 2011, land-based gambling is legal in Bolivia. Many physical facilities offer their services to the people in the country and all those that are of legal age can enter these facilities and entertain themselves. The legal age for gambling in Bolivia is 18 years.

Online gambling, on the other hand, faces a bit more complicated situation. Formally, there are no specific regulations for this type of activity, hence online gambling is considered to be illegal. However, the Bolivian government is very lenient towards these activities and will not pursue Bolivian players that are registering and playing at off-shore sites. The foreign operators will also face no penalties for offering their services to Bolivian players.

The main law that regulates all gambling activities in Bolivia is Law 060 on Lottery and Gambling Games (Ley 060 Sobre Juegos de Lotería y de Azar). According to this act, land-based gambling in Bolivia is legal, whereas online gambling falls in the grey area. It is formally considered illegal, but the government will not pursue players who decide to register and play in online casinos.

With the latest changes in the 2011 law on gambling, a new regulatory body was formed and it goes by the name Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social del Juego (AJ). This authority is in charge of licensing and overseeing all casino operations in the country.

Since Bolivian players love to gamble, there are tons of games that they consider their favourites. The number 1 spot goes to bingo as this was among the original games of chance that were legalized in the country. Online bingo is not regulated, so the players are free to access online casinos that feature these games or go to specific bingo sites.

Lottery is also popular. The state holds a monopoly on the market of the land-based lottery, and there are many people, especially those of elderly age that like to play the lottery. Bolivian players are also free to access this type of game online.

Next up, poker is a very popular game for the more experienced players. Unlike most casino games, poker relies on skill. In order to master it and win, players must develop special skills such as bluffing and reading opponents. Poker is very competitive and can be very rewarding, hence it is a common choice for Bolivian players. Sports betting also deserves a mention, as Bolivians are huge sports fans and are fond of betting on many games.

When accessing online casinos to look for all these games, Bolivian players always check to see which game providers supply the selected online casino. They are always looking for reputable brands as they are synonymous with a quality gaming experience. NetEnt, Microgaming, Nolimit City, Evolution, Red Tiger Gaming and Yggdrasil are some of the names that they are one the look-out for.

In the past couple of years, even Bitcoin gaming had a surge in popularity. As this cryptocurrency rose to power, numerous online casinos started offering special Bitcoin games. They can only be accessed by making a deposit with Bitcoin. These game provide the players with a unique gaming experience as they come with HD graphics and fun, high-paced gameplay.

Welcome bonuses, Free Spins, cashbacks and Free Bets are the most preferred bonuses for Bolivian players. Welcome bonuses are available to all newly-registered players at online casinos. In order to get them, the players must register at a certain casino site. Welcome bonuses usually offer Free Spins and match deposit bonuses on either the first deposit or the first few deposits.

Speaking of Free Spins, they are also a very popular bonus in Bolivia. This is a no deposit bonus that allows players to access all slot games without making a deposit and play to win a real money reward. After the wagering requirements have been made, players can withdraw their winnings.

Cashbacks are usually available on sports betting and live dealer games. Since sports betting is one of the most popular games, and poker is often featured at live dealer games, the players are always on the lookout for cashbacks. The percentage varies from one casino site to another. Some online casinos have loyalty programs in which the higher your level in that program is, the better the cashback rate will be.

Speaking of sports betting and its popularity, the last listed preferred bonus is Free Bets. With this bonus, players can bet on various games without making a deposit. They also have the chance to win real money rewards with this bonus.

In order to claim these bonuses, the player must be registered at a certain online casino. Welcome bonuses can only be claimed once. In most cases, players are required to deposit a certain amount to claim these bonuses. Some bonuses just require them to log in on selected days.

Additionally, the player may be required to type in bonus codes or contact the Support team at the online casino before they are able to claim the bonuses. Checking the Promotions tab at each online casino will provide the players with all the details they need to know.

The two most commonly used payment methods in Bolivia are credit and debit cards – VISA or MasterCard. Cards are used by many Bolivian players and the reason why they are so popular is that credit and debit cards are extremely secure and provide the players with relatively fast transactions.

Deposits with them are instant, while withdrawals have a processing time of around 3 business days, which is shorter than most methods. Mercado Pago is also a popular method and Bolivians are fond of using it whenever they see an online casino that accepts it. AstroPay also deserves a mention as it is among the methods that provide the players with relatively fast transactions.

In the recent period, Bitcoin has managed to leave a mark. More and more online casinos are integrating it as a payment method because the people in Bolivia, and Latin America for that matter, are growing fond of this cryptocurrency.

As a payment method, Bitcoin has tons of advantages. First, it provides players with instant deposits and withdrawals. Not only that, but players don’t need to pay any fees whenever they make a transaction. Finally, Bitcoin uses cryptology – a method that transfers data through the use of codes. In doing so, it gives its users a certain level of anonymity, which greatly increases their online security.

Combined with the fact that online casinos provide people with anonymity by allowing them to register under aliases, registered players have top-notch security. Lastly, by using Bitcoin as a payment method, Bolivians gain access to unique Bitcoin games which are known for their quality and HD graphics.

E-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller can be used, but they are not too preferred due to the fact that they often come with fees and many online casinos do not consider them as eligible deposit methods for claiming bonuses.