gambling in latin america

[Asaf Shachaf]

hi guys,

this will be my second post and again it is a question open to the public. my hopes are that there are many smart and knowledgable people here that can assist guys like me with some pointers.

so latin america is on the agenda this time...
1. do you need a special license to operate a gambling business in latin america?
2. can you advertise casinos online and/or offline in latin america?
3. are there any issues with processing there? fraud, etc

thanks and i appreciate your assistance,
Asaf Shachaf

[bpodraza]

Well <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Latin America</st1lace> is a big place my friend. Just like <st1lace w:st="on">Europe</st1lace> each country has its own culture and its own laws. Many of the counties have far too poor of an infrastructure to set up a decent operation.
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<st1:country-region w:st="on">Costa Rica</st1:country-region> is probably the one exception. It is reasonably stable politically, has a decent telecommunications infrastructure and the technology sector is second only to tourism and agricultural exports, so there is an ample labor force for the I-gaming industry. Although we do not accept US action, it also has favorable extradition laws, so many US operators like to locate there. <o></o>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Costa Rica</st1lace></st1:country-region> does issue gambling licenses for both land based and internet based operators. There are a few requirements, but nothing as rigorous as the scrutiny you have to go through to get a license in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Malta</st1:country-region> or <st1lace w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1lace>. As with many licensing jurisdictions they require that you do not accept action from Costa Rica.