Best Online Casinos - Paraguay

Is gambling legal in Paraguay?

It is safe to say that the offline gaming market in the country is still in its early stages of being shaped. Formally, games of chance, sports betting, virtual sports, lottery, and racebook are legal and regulated. The official body in charge of licensing and regulating the offline industry is the National Gaming Commission, also known as Conajzar.

The National Committee of Games of Chance, which is a branch of the Ministry of Finance, has the authority to develop and introduce laws that regulate the local industry. It also has the power to go after businesses that offer offline betting services without a license.

The current gaming sector relies on the main piece of legal writing which is Law 1016/97. It outlines the legal age for wagering money on games of chance and placing bets — players must be at least 18. It also defines the licensing procedure and taxes for businesses interested in entering the market.

According to the current legislation, brick-and-mortar casinos can be built only in Alto Parana, Asuncion, Caaguazu, Central, Cordillera, Itapua, and San Pedro. Speaking of brick-and-mortar venues, the first one opened its doors back in 1943, when only some forms of gambling were legal. In 1977, the country officially legalized all betting and gaming activities.

As of recently, there have been talks of limiting the power of the National Committee of Games of Chance within the Chamber of Deputies. However, this is still a matter of public discussion and we doubt that there will be major changes in the foreseeable future.

Is online gambling legal in Paraguay?

This sector is in the grey area. While an offline market is regulated, the country does not have any legal framework that defines online casinos, licensing, etc. This places Paraguayan players in a peculiar spot where players won’t be prosecuted for attending international offshore lobbies and are free to bet or play games of chance whenever and wherever. At the same time, our team can not say that the absence of clear regulations is a good thing because it leaves thousands of players exposed. Should they play and be wronged at offshore places to bet and win, they won’t be able to rely on the local regulator to protect their rights.

In 2019, there were talks in the National Committee of Games of Chance to start a process of defining online gaming and creating a legal framework to shape the industry. There have even been talks of launching a bill within six months after the initiative surfaced. It was expected that the bill would define appropriate regulations, establish forms of control, and outline tax management within the local communities. However, this story did not have any developments.

All things considered, while players are not explicitly told they can not gamble at offshore lobbies, they may experience problems depositing and withdrawing in international online casinos. This is due to the state regulating offshore banking and labeling it illegal, all in an attempt to prevent any money laundering activities.

What are the options for Paraguayan online players?

Until Conajzar comes up with a solid plan and legal framework for licensing and regulating virtual lobbies, all that’s left to do for players is to look for internationally regulated gaming sites. We recommend considering only certified locations, and only those that obtained certificates from reliable authorities. These are the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Jurisdictions of Curacao, Gibraltar, and Cyprus, among others.

Why do we insist on picking only certified platforms? To get their licenses, online operators must pass a series of serious checks, including proving that they provide certified games, are able to protect player data, won’t abuse bonus terms and conditions, and will be able to pay in time, as well as assist players should there be any issues. Licensors also act as mediators in possible conflicts between casinos and players.

This page provides an extensive list of Paraguay-friendly and licensed online gaming lobbies. Plus, if you decide to look for additional locations, here are ways to make sure you’ll pick a licensed lobby:

1. The footer of the site must contain information about its owner and official address.
2. The logo and full name of the regulatory authority must be mentioned in the footer, too.
3. Next to the name of the regulatory authority, there should be a casino’s license with its number and the date of issue.

Internationally licensed online operators may have different requirements for the legal gambling age. On average, it can be anywhere between 18 to 21 years, depending on the chosen platform. Such lobbies will also usually run regular KYC checks on all of their customers. These are required to make sure players are of legal age and play from countries that are allowed under the licenses of casinos.

To pass a verification procedure, you will usually need to provide:

1. Proof of ID
2. Proof of address
3. Proof of ownership of a payment method
4. Maybe, additional documents
5. Maybe, additional verification via voice or video

The help desk representatives of a selected place to bet and win should be able to assist in all things KYC, as well as with other questions regarding registration, banking, bonuses, and other services.

One of the key indicators of a site being suitable for players from a particular country is its cashier. If it accepts the local currency and/or alternative cryptocurrencies, that’s one factor for us to recommend the site. A much more sophisticated approach, however, is the cashier’s compatibility with the local payment methods. For an online operator to be able to meet the banking needs of players from specific markets, its team has to do preliminary research to know what the preferences of the customers may be.

For Paraguay, in particular, there are quite a few market peculiarities that make it stand out among other countries. Research shows that locals pay a lot of attention to making sure a payment method is secure. Up to 56% of those who make payments online prioritize safety. This means that a solid chunk of players may prefer bank transfers and cards to new and unknown payment services.

That being said, while regularly using conservative services, more than 80% of Paraguayans are keen to explore novel payment methods, and more than 40% even recently registered within digital wallet networks. If we zoom in on crypto, we will discover that more than 70% of residents of the country in question are open to the idea of using crypto coins.

This means that international online operators that are willing to expand to the reviewed market have a chance to be successful if they wisely intertwine classic and digital payment services, leaving enough room for Paraguayan players to feel secure and protected. Here are some popular sites known for their reliable banking:

1. Joo Casino is very popular among Paraguayans. Since being launched a while back, it gradually expanded its game collection, which now features some of the hottest and trendiest slots and live dealer tables.

   Advantages:
   • Lots of ongoing slot tournaments
   • A diverse and immersive loyalty program
   • Provably fair games
   Disadvantages
   • Limitations on maximum bets for bonus rollover requirements 
   • Withdrawals may take up to 72 hours

2. 20Bet Casino is a great gambling destination for those looking to combine a fine gaming experience with sports betting.

   Advantages:
   • Hefty welcome bonus
   • Accepts digital tokens
   • Has a loyalty scheme for registered regulars
   Disadvantages
   • Lacks support via phone
   • Has limitations on maximum monthly cashouts

3. 7Bit Casino is our solid recommendation for players willing to explore wagering in crypto. This is one of the oldest and most established locations that prioritizes cryptocurrencies, and it has lots of positive feedback from its registered members.

   Advantages:
   • Has Bitcoin video slots
   • Supports regular weekly reloads
   • Provides a generous sign-up package
   Disadvantages
   • Limited channels to reach out to the help desk representatives
   • Not all games contribute to the bonus rollover requirements

Because Paraguay is going through an uptick in players using e-wallets, many online operators are also making sure their players have access to payments via Neteller or Skrill. The first e-wallet is known for its seamless and fast transactions and friendliness to multiple currencies, including Paraguay Guarani. The second e-wallet, Skrill, is appreciated for its user-friendly interface and low transactional fees. If you are on the fence about whether you should switch from classic payment methods, here are some of the benefits of using e-wallets:

• Accessibility: Payments via e-wallets can be done anytime, anywhere, via convenient mobile apps.
• Fast transactions: While withdrawals via banks may take between one to three business days, casino payouts to e-wallets can take anywhere between one to 12 hours.
• Safety: Although e-wallets are considered novel digital payment methods, they are also highly secure, and protected by encryptions, two-factor authentications, etc.
• Saving on fees: Unless you are planning to withdraw from e-wallets to cards or bank accounts, transactional fees within e-wallets are usually lower than those offered by conservative payment methods.

POPULAR ONLINE GAMES IN PARAGUAY

The growing and evolving online market in South America has been at the center of attention for the last several years. Our team has witnessed multiple premium content developers focusing on getting licensed and expanding their presence in the reviewed sector. Among others, studios like Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Novomatic, Yggdrasil Gaming, Wazdan, and Playtech officially moved into the Paraguayan sector. We also see a surge of continuous interest from the local players towards the developer MGA, all due to its portfolio of slot machines in Spanish.

Are Slots in Demand? If we are talking about the reviewed country, then absolutely, reeled adventures are at the center of attention! Online lobbies are ready to offer an abundance of features, options, and other important parameters like Megaways slots, classic and jackpot releases, all types of math models, franchises, and beloved characters. 

When we compared platforms we discovered that some of the most popular slots among Paraguayans are games like Big Bad Wolf by Quickspin, Sweet Bonanza Xmas by Pragmatic Play, Big Bass Adventure by Max Win Gaming, Chilli Pop by BetSoft, and Sweet Alchemy 2 by Play’n GO. Theme-wise, players prefer releases about fishing, adventure, classic reels, and the so-called Book-themed slots.

If we are talking about the general classification of games of chance and betting content typical to the local market, there are options like Quiniela, Bingo, Telebingo, Sportsbook, Virtual Sports, Racebook, slots, live dealer content, and arcades. If we zoom in on arcades, there is a sub-category of scratch cards extremely popular on the market. The locals refer to scratch cards as Raspa y Gana, and plenty of online operators are ready to meet the demand for such content with a variety of great releases.

How Are Things with Live Games? Absolutely! The great thing is that the modern market of international online lobbies is ready to offer premium live content from award-winning studios to players from the country in question. Live roulette is the absolute favorite, and live blackjack is a close second. While Paraguay currently does not have local developers that shine in the international software arena, players are welcome to get access to amazing streams from such frontline studios as Ezugi, Lucky Streak, Pragmatic Live, and Evolution Gaming.