🇭🇳For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Honduras for operators: no online regime
Land-based casinos are regulated by the IHT under a 1977 law that admits only passport-holding foreigners as players, but online gambling operates as a grey market: no specific online framework exists and offshore sites serve residents without enforcement.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Honduras is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker | Unregulated |
| Lottery | Licensed |
Regulator and player protection in Honduras
Regulator
Application authority and enforcement body
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Limited
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Heads-up for operators
4 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
A draft law to license online casinos was presented by a deputy in October 2024; whether it was formally filed is not confirmed, and no later stage is recorded.
Political Calls to Repeal 1977 Gaming Law
A coalition of politicians from opposition parties called for the complete repeal of the 1977 casino law, and argued that it fails to generate sufficient tax revenue and contributes to social harm.
Source: 1
Draft Bill for Online Gambling Regulation Proposed
A formal legislative project was introduced to regulate the online casino market, establish a licensing system, and impose taxes to fund public services.
Source: 1
Show all 4Show fewer
Enactment of Online Gambling Framework
The 2024 draft bill to regulate iGaming is awaiting further debate and has not yet been passed into law as of May 2026.
Source: 1
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in Honduras
2 licence types are listed for Honduras; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence | Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) | Up to 25 years, renewable for 5-year periods | Covers all typical casino games within an approved tourism establishment. |
| Lottery | State Monopoly | Statutory | The national lottery is operated as a state monopoly and is not commercially licensed. |
Licensing model
Honduras's framework has a structural quirk: the governing 1977 'Ley de Casinos' was designed for tourism and only covers physical casinos. It does not address the internet, so there is no standalone online gambling licence. All online operators serving Honduras are based offshore and operate in a legal grey area.
Gambling tax and fees in Honduras
Detail
Land-based casinos pay an annual tax that is the greater of HNL 300,000-700,000 or 20% of gross income minus prizes paid.
Year-1 cost: fee schedule not yet published
Honduras does not offer online gambling licences. The compliance costs detailed below are for physical casinos under the 1977 Law, which must be part of a high-category tourism establishment.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Land-based Casino Licence | no published fee schedule Source2 | No application fee is specified in the 1977 law, but operational taxes are significant. |
| Online Casino Licence | Not applicable | Honduras does not have a licensing framework for online gambling. |
| Online Sports Betting Licence | Not applicable | Honduras does not have a licensing framework for online gambling. |
| Lottery Licence | State monopoly | The national lottery is state-run and not commercially licensed. |
| Operator GGR Tax (Land-Based) | The greater of HNL 300k-700k annually or 20% of GGR. Source2 | Tax is calculated on gross revenue after prizes have been paid. Applies to land-based casinos only. |
Year 1 estimate
Year 1 cannot be totalled: no online licensing framework exists.
For land-based casinos, the primary cost is the significant capital investment required for a qualifying tourism facility and the ongoing 20% GGR tax.
Which foreign licences Honduras accepts
All 8 foreign licences listed here are tolerated in Honduras.
Tolerated
Offshore operators are accessible as online gambling is unregulated.
Malta (MGA)
No enforcement action is taken against players.
United Kingdom (UKGC) · Curaçao · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan (AGB) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Gibraltar (GRA)
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
Inducement ads: Allowed
Due to the complete absence of a regulatory framework for online gambling in Honduras, there are no specific laws governing bonuses, promotions, or advertising. The market operates in a legal grey area, with operators guided by the terms of their international licenses.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
All player bonuses and retention tools are considered allowed by default due to the lack of any prohibitive legislation.
What the operator can advertise
The absence of a regulatory body or legal framework for online gambling means there is no mechanism for enforcement actions, fines, or sanctions related to advertising or promotions.
How Honduras enforces against unlicensed operators
There is no public record of enforcement against unlicensed online gambling operators serving Honduras. The market is a legal grey area, and the government's focus remains entirely on the land-based sector. No ISP blocking, payment processing blocks, or fines against offshore operators have been reported.
- The online market is consistently described by industry press as unregulated, with players able to access offshore sites without repercussions.
- There is a complete absence of news or government reports detailing enforcement actions (e.g., site blocking, fines, prosecutions) against online operators.
- The pending legislation from October 2024 is framed as an opportunity to create regulation where none currently exists, which confirms the current non-enforcement stance.
Market size: 0.07B USD (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Honduras is approximately 70 million USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Casino. Online gambling represents 5% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Lotería Mayor de Honduras.
Market breakdown by vertical
- Land-based0.007B USD10.0%
- Sports betting0.0455B USD65.0%
- Casino0.007B USD10.0%
- Lottery0.0105B USD15.0%
Source: Yogonet / Atlaslive LATAM Digest. Splits: online-casino 10.0%, sports 65.0%, land-based 10.0%, lottery 15.0%.
GGR figure7
Licensed operators: ~5
As of 23 Oct 2026, approximately 5 operators hold an active licence in Honduras. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
Casino Royal Tegucigalpa
Crowne Casino San Pedro Sula
Princess Casino Honduras
Traps operators hit in Honduras
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Navigating the Complete Lack of Online Regulation
The primary pitfall is operational and reputational risk. With no local licensing, operators function in a grey market. This creates uncertainty regarding future regulatory changes, potential advertising restrictions and payment processing challenges, as financial institutions may be wary of facilitating transactions in an unregulated environment.
Sources5
Land-based casinos admit only foreigners
Under art. 6 of the Ley de Casinos as restated by Decreto 76-90 (La Gaceta 26217, 20 August 1990), a land-based casino may admit as players only people who prove with a passport that they are foreigners; a breach costs L 50,000 and a repeat cancels the licence. The age-21 text of Decreto 100-88 (1988) was replaced. This is a land-based rule; there is no online framework.
Sources8
Unstable Political and Economic Environment
Operators considering future market entry should be aware of political calls to repeal or drastically alter the existing 1977 gaming law. These discussions often cite concerns over gambling addiction and insufficient tax revenue, and they create a volatile long-term outlook for the industry.
Sources6
Timeline: rules in force
- August 1990
Decreto 76-90 restores the foreigners-only rule (art. 6)
Decreto 76-90 (24 July 1990; in force on publication in La Gaceta 26217, 20 August 1990) restated art. 6: land-based casinos may admit as players only people who prove with a passport that they are foreigners, on pain of a L 50,000 fine and, on a repeat, cancellation of the licence. It also put the supervision and control of casino players with the Secretaría de Gobernación y Justicia (art. 12). It replaced the age-21 text of Decreto 100-88 (1988). Land-based rule; text as published in the Tribunal Superior de Cuentas compilation of the law, where no later amendment of art. 6 appears.
Source: 8
- 1988 & 1990
Amendments to the Casino Law
Key articles of the 1977 law, including those related to taxation and entry requirements for citizens, were reformed.
Source: 9
- 1977
Ley de Casinos, Juegos de Envite o Azar Enacted
The foundational law established the legal framework for land-based casinos and delegated regulatory authority to the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT).
Source: 10
Operator myths vs reality in Honduras
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythA Curaçao or MGA licence is sufficient to legally operate in Honduras.Reality
While these licences are common among operators in the region and the government tolerates their presence, they have no legal standing in Honduras. Operation remains in a grey market, subject to future regulatory changes without warning.
Sources5
- MythHonduras is a completely untapped market.Reality
While it is an unregulated market, it is not untapped. Many international operators are actively targeting Honduran players, creating a competitive environment for new entrants.
Sources5
- MythThe proposed 2024 law will pass quickly and create a stable market.Reality
The bill has been under discussion since late 2024 with no clear timeline for passage, and simultaneous political efforts to repeal the existing 1977 law entirely suggest that the future regulatory outlook is far from certain and could be subject to significant political shifts.
Sources6
Markets that work like Honduras
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- HaitiAI overviewVenezuelaAI overviewDominicaAI overviewSaint LuciaAI overviewTrinidad and TobagoAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker unregulated; lottery licensed; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly tolerated.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for Honduras
Documents cited on this page
- 1SBC Noticias
- 2Ley de Casinos, Juegos de Envite o Azar (1977)
- 3iGaming Today Regulation Overview
- 4LCB.org Honduras Restrictions
- 5igamingtoday.com - Gambling Regulation in Honduras
- 6SBC Noticias - Online Gambling Regulation Proposal
- 7Yogonet / Atlaslive LATAM Digest
- 8Ley de Casinos, Juegos de Envite o Azar (Decreto 488 of 1977) with its amending decrees, as published in the Tribunal Superior de Cuentas compilation
- 9Ley de Casinos, Juegos de Envite o Azar (Updated)
- 10Ley de Casinos, Juegos de Envite o Azar
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Honduras (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Honduras player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 23 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Honduran Institute of Tourism (Instituto Hondureño de Turismo - IHT). We are not a legal adviser.