El Salvador casinos keep operating despite a long and confusing legal history. In 2002 lawmakers voted to enforce an 1882 ban on games involving wagers, yet casinos stayed open, and in 2026 a new casino opened in San Miguel. Since a 2021 law, the state lottery, the Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (LNB), has been the regulator for lottery, betting and electronic gaming.
El Salvador gambling at a glance
| Land-based casinos | Operating; a new casino opened in San Miguel in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (LNB) |
| Key law | Ley de la Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (2021) |
| Lottery | Run by the state through the LNB |
| Online gaming | Municipalities cannot authorise it; electronic games fall under the LNB |
| Last checked | November 2026 |
Is gambling legal in El Salvador?
The answer has shifted over time. In July 2002, El Salvador’s congress voted to enforce rules dating from 1882 that prohibit games involving wagers. Casinos were allowed to keep their doors open but could not sponsor gambling, the lottery was among the few exceptions, and local officials were told to monitor casinos. A casino operator said it would challenge the decision, and casino gaming carried on.
The bigger change came in late 2021, when the Legislative Assembly passed a new law for the Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia, replacing its 1960 founding law. Under it:
- The LNB regulates lottery, betting and other electronic games run by authorised public or private operators.
- The LNB can authorise third parties to run games through a permit, licence, contract, concession or public-private partnership.
- No game may be run by any means without LNB authorisation, and inspection and control of licensed games belong to the LNB alone.
- Municipalities can run only lotería de cartón games and cannot authorise other lotteries, sports predictions or online games.
Critics said the law made the LNB both the rule-setter and a competitor in the market, since it also runs its own games.
Casinos in El Salvador
Casinos operate in El Salvador, and new investment is still arriving. In August 2026 Imperius Casino in San Miguel, one of the country’s largest cities, was inaugurated after installing slot machines from the Bulgarian maker EGT.
Game mixes vary from venue to venue, so check what a casino offers before you go. If you are new to table games, our guides explain blackjack, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker, video poker and poker.
The national lottery
The Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia runs the state lottery, which was one of the few exceptions to the 2002 ban. Under the 2021 law it is also the body that oversees betting and electronic gaming, which makes it the closest thing El Salvador has to a gambling regulator.
Online gambling
The 2021 law keeps online games out of municipal hands and puts electronic gaming under the LNB. Gamboool’s online casino reviews cover offshore sites that take US players; those operators are not licensed by US state regulators.
For nearby countries, see our Central America casinos guide, along with guides to Guatemala and Honduras. For casinos in Europe’s Spanish-speaking market, see Spain.
El Salvador casinos FAQ
Are there casinos in El Salvador?
Yes. Casinos operate in El Salvador, and a new one, Imperius Casino in San Miguel, opened in 2026.
Who regulates gambling in El Salvador?
The Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (LNB). A 2021 law made it the regulator for lottery, betting and electronic gaming, and no game may be run without its authorisation.
Did El Salvador ban gambling?
In 2002 congress voted to enforce an 1882 ban on games involving wagers, with the lottery as an exception. Casinos kept operating, and the 2021 lottery law later brought betting and electronic gaming under the LNB.
Gamble responsibly. If gambling stops being fun, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.