El Salvador is a country in Northern Central America that shares its borders with the Pacific Ocean in the south. Founded on February 1841, this republic has in the recent past experienced a rise in the practice of sports betting. Locals are using both the domestic and the foreign betting sites. Due to the availability of top platforms and interesting sports events, this trend is increasing. This article contains helpful information on betting sites in El Salvador, the legal status, and recommended sports platforms for betting.
Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
History of Gambling Laws in El Salvador
Gambling has a long history in El Salvador; in 1882, all forms of gambling were outlawed. Nonetheless, the ban was treacherously violated. The local congress prohibited the legalization of gambling in 2002, which made the lottery the only available lawful kind of betting. Still, other types of gambling, such as horse and dog racing, were able to continue their activities in the rather ambiguous legal context.
Key Historical Milestones:
- 1882: The following are prohibited: Gambling in its all forms.
- 2002: The attempt to allow gambling is again rejected; lotteries will continue to be the only legal gambling.
- 2017: National Lottery come up with a new law in gaming industry covering on various sectors.
- 2020: Collaboration with Tenlot Group for the online games and sports betting services to increase the revenue.
- 2021: New regulation of and control over the sports betting and online casino games is put into place.
Regulatory of Betting Sites in El Salvador
The only legal format of gambling that is currently permitted in El Salvador is the National Charity Lottery and its regulation is the responsibility of the LNB. The LNB supervises all types of lottery games and has been increasing its functions to regulate online and sports betting.
Main Regulatory Agencies:
- National Charity Lottery (LNB): Supervises all the lottery activities and has been associated with other companies to add more products.
- Ministry of Finance: Brought new laws for the enhanced control of online gambling and sports betting.
Permitted and Prohibited Bets
El Salvador has one legal form of gambling and that is the lottery. But other forms of gambling like horse and dog racing are still common despite the ban on the activity. Online gambling especially on sports has also picked up momentum with many offshore sports betting sites accepting players from El Salvador.
Permitted Bets:
- Lottery games: LNB is the body that manages it.
- Horse and dog racing: It is considered legal, but it falls in a rather a grey area of the law.
- Online sports betting: Increasing in the popularity especially in the offshore sites.
Prohibited Bets:
- Casino games: It is technically prohibited; however, one may come across it in some physical shops and websites.
Gambling Licenses and Fees
Gambling in any form is only legal in El Salvador if one has a license from the National Charity Lottery (LNB). Fees and taxes that are connected with these licenses are rather significant, which means that the state gets a share of the gambling profits.
Types of Licenses:
- Lottery License: This is an LNB managed service.
- Online Betting License: Allowed to be shared with other individuals but this has certain conditions that must be met.
Fees and Taxes:
- Corporate Income Tax: While in others it is 30% of the companies’ revenues.
- Gambling Taxes: At the lower end, it is between 13% VAT to 30% on the net profit.
- Non-Resident Taxes: 5% on dividends, 20% on interest as well as royalties.
Best Betting Sites in El Salvador
Since there are not many choices for gambling locally, most of the bettors in El Salvador reach out to the international betting platforms Below are some of the most popular sites that people have given high ratings.
Recommended Betting Sites:
Up To £130 + £5 Free Bets
Up To £120 + £30 Free Bets
Up To £100
Achievements in El Salvador’s Sports History
Sporting activity has been well developed in El Salvador and the country has many successes and highlights to its credit. These milestones not only capture the sporting achievements of the nation, but also feed the interest in the sports betting.
Key Sports Milestones:
- 1970: Admitted into the FIFA World Cup.
- 1982: Another FIFA World Cup qualification mission well done.
- 1993: CONCACAF Gold Cup – became the winner of.
- 2002: Women’s basketball team was crowned the champion at the Central American and Caribbean games.
- 2014: National baseball team has also emerged the winner of the Central American Games, taking the gold medal.
Celebrating Sports Stars
It can be said that El Salvador has been able to raise a number of great athletes who have influenced the world of sports. Statistics like these spur people on and have a role in escalating interest in sports betting.
Notable Sports Figures:
- Jorge “El Magico” Gonzalez: This is one of the popular football players of Central America.
- Raúl Díaz Arce: Most goals in the 1993 Gold Cup cup.
- Carlos “El Indio” Hernández: Wbc super featherweight champion.
- María Elena Sánchez: He is an Olympic gold medallist in track and field.
- María del Carmen Sánchez: Olympic champion and the holder of gold medals.
Gambling Regulations in Neighboring Countries
However, to get a better perspective of the current situation in El Salvador especially concerning gambling laws, it is important to look at the laws in the neighboring countries. Here’s a brief overview
Guatemala:
- Legal Framework: All forms of gambling are mostly prohibited, only the lottery is legal.
- Regulatory Body: National Lottery controls all the activities.
- Taxes: It is charged at a rate of 31% for corporate income tax.
Honduras:
- Legal Framework: Gambling is allowed, this includes casinos and sports betting.
- Regulatory Body: National Commission of Gambling regulates the gambling business.
- Taxes: It is to be noted that 10% of the winnings are subjected to tax.
Nicaragua:
- Legal Framework: Football betting, casino games and other forms of betting are also allowed and are regulated.
- Regulatory Body: It is the National Lottery that regulates the gambling activities.
- Taxes: It is 35% of the gross gaming revenue.
Conclusion
Sports betting in El Salvador has grown over the years and very much has a rich history. Although local solutions are rather confined, foreign-based platforms open up new possibilities to the passionate users. Thus, knowing the legal requirements and reviewing the most popular platforms helps users to choose the best option and improve the betting process.
FAQ: Best Betting Sites in El Salvador
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