Ecuador regulates the licensing of sports betting operators with a single license

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture issued the “Regulations governing the licensing procedure for sports betting” through Agreement No. MINEDEC-MINEDEC-2026-00078-A, signed on September 17, 2026, by Minister Gilda Natalia Alcívar García. The instrument was published in the Official Registry – Supplement No. 383 on Monday, October 5, 2026, on page 2, and establishes the Sports Betting Operator License (LOPD) as the sole enabling title to operate the activity in the country.

The regulation develops the Organic Law of Sport, Physical Education and Recreation and its General Regulation, issued by Executive Decree No. 422 of June 12, 2026, and published in the Official Registry – Fifth Supplement No. 305 of June 15, 2026. Following the mergers ordered by Executive Decrees No. 60 and No. 100 of 2025, the governing body for sport was integrated into the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, which acts as the competent authority to regulate, authorize, supervise, and sanction sports betting.

The proposal was based on Technical Report No. MINEDE-DSDD-2026-0106 of September 14, 2026, and obtained a favorable legal opinion through memorandum No. MINEDEC-CGAJ-2026-00664-M. Resolution No. UAFE-DG-2026-0005 of April 13, 2026, had already qualified operators as obliged entities to report to the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE).

Single license, minimum equity and annual payment

• LOPD: sole enabling title, personal and non-transferable, with a validity of five (5) years.
• Renewal: must be requested at least 90 days prior to expiration.
• Annual payment: 655 unified basic salaries, within the first 20 days of each year of validity.
• Equity: not less than USD 500,000, proven by financial statements or an external audit.
• Guarantee: performance bond for 1% of the net equity, established within 90 days.
• Application evaluation: 90 days; correction period of 15 days, extendable by an additional 10 days.
• Registry: the Directorate of Sports Betting Management will administer the National Registry of Sports Betting Operators, which is public in nature.

Operators must maintain an exclusive bank account for user funds and prizes, and prove legal, financial, technical, and operational requirements, including responsible gaming manuals, identity verification, and money laundering prevention. The regulation incorporates by reference the GLI-33 standard from Gaming Laboratories International, LLC, and requires platform certification by accredited laboratories.

Integrity, responsible gaming and biometric verification

• Prohibition of participation for minors under 18, legally incapacitated persons, executives, athletes, coaches, and referees linked to the predicted competition, as well as their relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity.
• Real-time facial biometric verification before activating the gaming account.
• National Registry of Self-Excluded Persons, consultable by operators via an encrypted binary system (Yes/No).
• Voluntary deposit limits: reductions are immediate and increases take effect after three days.
• Preservation of traceability for a minimum of seven (7) years.
• Bonuses and promotions: they may not exceed 1.5% of the operator’s average predictions over the last three months.
• Withdrawal of funds: processing within a maximum period of three business days.

The Directorate of Sports Prediction Management will manage a National Early Warning System to detect irregular patterns of competition manipulation, and operators must immediately report any indication of fraud.

Payment Caps, Advertising, and Sanctions

The regulations set differentiated caps by payment channel:

• Transfers and debit: USD 1,000 per transaction, USD 1,700 daily, and USD 19,500 monthly.
• Credit and prepaid cards: USD 350 per transaction, USD 550 daily, and USD 6,100 monthly.
• Cash, only at authorized physical points: USD 500 per transaction, USD 5,000 daily, and USD 9,900 monthly.

Only operators with a current license may advertise to the Ecuadorian market, with an express prohibition on messages directed at minors or those promoting gambling as guaranteed enrichment. The sanctioning regime includes license suspension, revocation, and the blocking of network domains, applications, and payment methods, in coordination with the competent entities.

Transition and Pending Regulations

Existing operators will have a maximum period of 180 days to comply with the regulation, including the requirement for an exclusive bank account. Foreign operators may apply for the license through a branch or a company established in Ecuador, and during the first year, certifications from accredited international laboratories will be recognized.

The governing body must issue the technical standards regulations, the specific sanctioning regulations, and the traceability verification regulations within 180 days. Until the Directorate of Sports Prediction Management is created, these functions will be assumed by the Directorate of Supervision and Defense of Sport.

The regulation comes into force upon its signing and orders its publication in the Official Registry and on the Ministry’s website. For betting houses and sector operators, the agreement makes the LOPD an indispensable requirement to operate legally in Ecuador and enables the blocking of unauthorized platforms, with an adaptation period limited to six months.

Source: Official Registry – Supplement No. 383, Monday, October 5, 2026, Executive Branch, page 2 (official reference: MINEDEC-MINEDEC-2026-00078-A).