The decision follows President Noboa’s withdrawal of specific articles of Executive Order 421, which had been imposed on Ecuador’s Organic Law on Communication by the former government of Guillermo Lasso Mendoza in 2023.
After taking office in January 2024, Noboa ordered a constitutional review of Ecuador’s laws, which had banned land-based casinos and bingo halls since 2011, while providing no legal framework to govern online gambling activities.
A referendum in 2011 allowed former President Rafael Correa to ban land-based casinos, bookmakers, and bingo halls, a decision that opponents argue has harmed the tourism industry.
Although land-based gambling is banned, constitutionally there are no explicit laws prohibiting online gaming, creating ambiguity in the regulation of the sector.
A registry for gambling and sports betting companies w..