Introduction

Bolivia is one of the world’s most diverse countries, home to some of nature’s most stunning creations, like Lake Titicaca and Salar de Uyuni, and this is also a nation that has flip-flopped quite a bit when it comes to betting pastimes. The Tibet of the Americas, as some call it, allowed various gambling activities in the 19th century, only to change its stance and ban most in the mid-20th century. This was, of course, due to social concerns regarding how permitting these hobbies impacts Bolivian communities and the country at large.

For decades, gambling lacked any real regulation in Bolivia, with the nation boasting a somewhat laissez-faire approach to it. In 2010, a shift occurred with Law 060, which restricted how Bolivia regulated this landscape. To ensure that it had a stable sector, the government created AJ, or the Autoridad de Fiscalización del Juego, which functions under the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance, acting as the country’s gambling regulator. However, this law did not factor in online casinos, so a decade later, amendments were proposed to adapt to tech advancements that had been achieved. Yet, at the time of writing, no domestic licensing system for Internet gaming has been put in place in Bolivia, forcing Bolivian players to use international casino sites to enjoy games of chance from anywhere, at any time. No one prosecutes those who indulge in this kind of entertainment here, with the number of websites available to Bolivians being in the thousands. Below, we guide you on how to select only good ones on your gaming journey.

Tips for Online Gambling in Bolivia

Given that Bolivian authorities do not fine or go after residents who use foreign gambling websites, this means that Bolivians have no shortage of options when it comes to casinos they can choose from. As noted above, loads of operators have no problem allowing residents of the country to play on their hubs, which makes the process of trying to pick the right brand a bit daunting. To help with all this, we have compiled these few suggestions that we think everyone should follow, as they help players stay informed during their site selection, and by adhering to them, they minimize the risk of settling on a bad casino. So, here is what we recommend everyone do first when looking for a platform that is right for them.

Read reliable reviews

What reviews are reliable? We understand that there can be a lot of confusion on this topic, as the web is flooded with biased user experiences and sites trying to direct readers to casinos they are working with. To avoid all this, the best bet is to go with trusted portals, ones that have been around for years, that various media outlets have written about, and which have attained a reputation for supplying objective opinions. The Wizard of Odds is, of course, one of these sites, as it has been around since 1997, and is one of the longest-standing reviewers in the sphere. That said, no one has to lean on only our frequently updated expert reviews. They can compare what we have had to say about given sites with what other famous analysts have thought about them, and here are some other highly trusted sources that you can use for cross-referencing casino hub scans:

Trusted Portals

• Latest Casino Bonuses
• World Casino Directory

Read our blacklist

No one should sign up with any gambling site without first checking our blacklist, the WoO collection of casinos deemed unsafe by our staff. The people working for Wizard of Odds have years of industry experience, and they know what to look for. They examine gaming platforms every day, updating old reviews and looking at new sites. Moreover, they always check player complaints that are sent in, and brands that have been deemed unsafe or shady get added to the WoO blacklist, which not only lists casinos that fall below the expected sector quality, but ones that are looking out only for themselves. On that page, the reason for a platform’s blacklisting is also noted, so if a casino is on there, it probably deserves no further consideration and needs to get instantly scratched off as a viable option.

Learn about T&C fine print

Once you have narrowed down a few seemingly credible platforms, the next step should be an in-depth exploration of their Terms and Conditions page. This is crucial. Every interactive gaming site open to Bolivians has this section, and going through it in detail, no matter how laborious and boring it may seem, is for your own good. It is in your best interest, as here lie the rules of service, what is allowed and what is forbidden on a given hub. On top of this, on this page, it gets outlined who runs the site, where its headquarters are, and what licenses it holds. But most importantly, the deposit and withdrawal conditions get broken down, along with what constitutes account-closing offences. Do yourself a favor and check out the T&C of every site that appears appealing and that you may want to join.

Licensed and Regulated Bolivian Casinos

We already established that Bolivia has no locally licensed online casinos. The country has no gambling law that pertains to Internet games of chance of the casino kind, and no one to oversee businesses that offer such services from Bolivia’s borders. This means that any online casinos that accept Bolivian players are not locally regulated, but are based in another jurisdiction.

Most foreign casinos have some sort of gambling license, as long gone are the days of platforms functioning unregulated. The main exception is websites based in Costa Rica, which is a renowned Internet gambling hub that has no regulator, but permits online gambling businesses to operate there, servicing only non-Costa Ricans. Still, any casino license is better than no license, because then a platform answers to someone, instead of doing what it pleases with no oversight, and no one to make it do anything it does not want to. There are many international regulators that approve and monitor casino sites for Bolivian players, like the Gibraltar Gaming Commissioner, the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, the Anjouan Gaming Authority, and the Mwali International Services Authority. These may not be the world’s strictest regulators, but they do ensure that their licensees have some level of financial stability and follow common sector practices.

Casino Trust and Security

Checking to see if a casino has a license or not should not be the only safety criterion. Although this does signal that the operator has the money to pay necessary regulatory fees, it still does not always guarantee that its websites have tested games or high-end security. Most regulators do demand that their licensees offer proof that agencies like BMM, eCOGRA, TST, GLI, or iTech Labs have audited their offered games for fairness, and that they implement SSL encryption. Nevertheless, some lower-rank ones may not have this kind of requirement, which means it is smart to verify these things, if possible, before signing up. This kind of information can be requested from the support team, or it may get listed in the T&C or FAQ pages.

Encryption use should get mentioned in any attained server certificate, viewable by clicking on the lock symbol in an Internet browser. Once a member of a platform, then looking into its profile options to see if a login history option and a 2FA one is presented there should be mandatory, because these go a long way in stopping unauthorized access.

Banking Options for Bolivian Players

It should go without saying that a super-important thing to consider about a casino is whether it accepts convenient payment methods. Most players from Bolivia stay away from bank transfers because some banks may flag these transactions and then invalidate them because of the lack of local regulation. This is why many gamblers like to stick to non-bank-related options, like e-wallets available to Bolivians, such as ecoPayz, AstroPay, Skrill, and Neteller.

It is vital to point out that the Bolivian Central Bank does not recognize foreign wallets, but this does not stop Bolivians from using them without needing BCB approval, by complying with general financial laws. Residents can also use Visa and Mastercard for gaming entertainment, and cryptocurrencies are a growingly popular solution, given that they cause no issues and can facilitate anonymous gambling at no-KYC hubs. As a rule of thumb, no matter the casino you end up checking out, it will for sure have some of these choices provided for depositing and withdrawing.

Depositing and Withdrawing in Bolivia

After deciding on what site to call home, all that’s left is to go through its registration process and become its official member. This should be a fairly straightforward process that begins with clicking the Join Now/Sign Up button and following the presented steps, or by sharing third-party account credentials, such as Google or Telegram ones.

When a member of a desired casino wants to deposit, they must first ensure that they are logged into your account and then navigate to the payment/banking section/window. There, you must pick the Deposits tab, where you will see the transaction options available, from which you must select the one that is most convenient. Then share payment credentials in the new window along with the deposit sum. Authentication of the transfer may follow after clicking the confirm button, with the transaction usually processing in seconds. If this does not occur, do not think twice and immediately contact customer support to learn what is causing the delay.

When the funds land in your balance, gaming action can commence. If you win and want to cash out, know that you will likely have to go through a Know Your Customer procedure, where you will have to verify your age and identity by supplying personal documents and information. A photo ID issued by a government body is a must everywhere, and it should feature your date of birth and full name. Most of the time, these KYC procedures get resolved in a day or two, which is why it is wise to ask to go through them after depositing. It is impossible to avoid them unless you have picked a crypto casino with lax or no regulation.

Once KYC has been cleared, as well as any bonus requirements, withdrawing should be possible via the same window used for depositing, but in a different tab. There, the cash-out method of choice gets selected along with the payout amount. Withdrawals are rarely instant, unless they are cryptocurrency ones. But even then, they can take around an hour or more to go through. E-wallet ones usually take twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and cards typically require a wait of over three days. These limits vary per site, which is why it is important to examine these times before putting in a withdrawal request.

Best Casino Games & Software in Bolivian Casinos

The number of games available at international casino sites accessible by Bolivian players can be stunning at times. There are now sites that have over ten thousand titles in their lobbies from over one hundred providers. This has been made possible due to jurisdictions like Curaçao easily approving providers to team up with their licensees. Hence, sites based in small island nations now have robust game arsenals stacked by companies like Red Tiger, Hacksaw Gaming, AvatarUX, Playtech, Playson, Play’n GO, Pragmatic Play, and many others. Here are the two game types everyone can expect to find at online casinos that cater to Bolivian players.

Slots

Slots are, without argument, the most popular online gambling games ever. They are the genre that helped launch this sphere and remains most casual players’ favorite option. This is so because they get played with only a press of a button, but now their former basic 3x3 gameplay has been replaced with highly complicated symbol layouts and mechanics like MultiWays, Megaways, Hold & Win, etc.

Progressive jackpot spinners, too, are a top allure of this category, as they can deliver wins in the millions, with Games Global and NetEnt supplying the most famous progressive monsters in the industry, picks like Mega Moolah and Hall of Gods, for example.

Table Games

There is a certain section of online casino gamblers who prefer table games over slots, and these are usually high-rollers or veteran players who know that options from this category provide better prize-producing odds. Most popular slots have house edges of 4%, or an RTP of 96%, while games like roulette (European versions) have a casino advantage of 2.7%, and blackjack has one of 2%, which can drop to 0.5% with proper strategy use.

The video versions of casino classics are favored by those who want fast table gameplay and low limits. The live versions are for those who want an authentic casino feel, novel variations, and high stakes.

Live Dealer Options for Bolivian Players

As explained above, live dealer tables accept high wagers. They are costly to run, so they never supply bet sizes under $1 per round, but their maximums can stretch up to $10,000 for VIP options from Evolution, Playtech, or Pragmatic Play Live.

Streaming products have taken the online gambling world by storm in the past decade, with presenter picks, also called game show games. These mix RNG rounds with ones dictated by physics and the randomness of the universe. Examples from this realm include Crazy Time and Dream Catcher. That said, innovative variants of classics like Playtech’s Quantum Blackjack and Pragmatic Play’s Mega Roulette hold their own against titles from the previously discussed subgenre.

Live games only appear to get more advanced and complex as time passes, and no one is really certain what providers will come up with next, but it is sure to be very exciting and unlike anything that the land-based section of the industry has to offer.

Online Casino Bonuses for Bolivian Players

We mentioned in the withdrawal part of this online casino Bolivia guide that before asking for a payout, everyone should look to see if they have met the conditions of any bonus claimed. This primarily pertains to meeting a promo deal’s wagering requirements, which is a stipulation attached to most free spins and deposit match offers. This is a multiplier that can go up to 45x, signifying how many times you must wager the bonus amount given, the deposit made, or customarily both, before you can take out any bonus-linked winnings.

Generally, any quality bonus will have a wagering requirement below 35x, but this condition, too, largely depends on the bonus sum given. The more free-play opportunities a promo delivers, the higher its wagering requirement is likely to be. It is also worth noting that this condition has multiple sub-conditions, like what games can be used for it to get fulfilled, with different genres contributing differently, what is the max bet one can make, and in what timeframe this stipulation must get completed.

Welcome bonuses at most Bolivian-catering casino sites will consist of a deposit match or free spins, or a combo of the two. They can also be a single-deposit offer or a multi-deposit one, referred to as a registration package. Customarily, free spins bonuses have higher wagering requirements than deposit match ones.

Two other bonus types that Bolivian players are likely to come across are reloads, which are matches for existing players, and cashback, partial refunds on incurred losses, usually weekly ones. Slot tournaments are now a common thing, as are VIP programs that look to reward frequent play with various perks like birthday gifts, exclusive promos, personal account managers, higher site limits, and more. Entry in these multi-level schemes is automatic at most sites, although some of these clubs operate on an invite-only basis, with the support staff extending membership to users whose account audits have shown a high degree of betting activity.

Problem Gambling in Bolivia

Despite not having legalized online casinos, Bolivia has still taken a very proactive stance toward responsible gambling overall. It has run multiple awareness campaigns, including the most renowned one of these, whose name translates to - There is a World Outside. The country, too, has given schools and various institutions education materials on this topic, and it has various facilities like Opción de Vida and Casa CAYA that provide rehabilitation programs for various addictions, including gambling.

Mental health centers across the nation in major cities also give support to those suffering from ludomania, and gamblers are encouraged to set responsible gambling limits at offshore sites, even if they do not show a compulsion toward betting. Adjusting deposit, session, and loss limits is smart for all, and if impulses begin to grow beyond one’s control, then asking for a self-exclusion ban is a must.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, Bolivia is yet to see the rise of regulated online casinos, leaving residents to only seek out and join reputable international sites that will have them. Ironically, Bolivia’s land-based market is regulated, but residents who want to play remotely will have to satisfy this need at foreign platforms, and selecting which one they should play at should be done by following all the pieces of advice we laid out above. Deciding on an online casino should entail checking the talked-about criteria and then making an informed decision, factoring in one’s personal preferences. There are so many great options out there, and with diligent research, we have no doubt that you can find the perfect Bolivian online casino for you.

Written by: Michael Shackleford