Ecuador sets the licensing requirements for sports betting operators

Ecuador’s Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture (Minedec) has published the administrative procedure for obtaining the Licence for Sports Betting Operators (LOPD), the only document that allows a company to offer sports betting legally in the country. For PSPs and merchants in the high-risk space, the important bit is that Ecuador is now spelling out the entry rules, the renewal cost, and the operational obligations instead of leaving the market in regulatory fog.

1. Carlos José Riofrío, managing partner and founder of Riofrío Bustamante Law Firm, said in a LinkedIn post that operators must show legal presence in Ecuador and maintain a minimum net worth of $500,000. On top of that, they must provide a bank guarantee or an immediately collectible policy equal to 1% of that net worth, designed to protect users in case of non-compliance.
2. The application will not be a rubber-stamp exercise. Each request will be reviewed on legal, financial, technical, and operational grounds, and the authority has up to 90 days to complete the assessment.
3. The LOPD will be valid for five years. Annual renewal will require payment of 655 unified basic salaries, which in 2026 is equivalent to approximately $315,000. Licensed operators must also register with the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit, certify their platform technically, maintain a bank account used exclusively for operations, and apply responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, data protection, and user verification policies.
4. Foreign companies that want to operate in Ecuador must do so through a locally domiciled branch or a company incorporated in Ecuador. Operators already active in the market will have 180 days to align with the new requirements.
5. The framework comes from the General Regulation to the Organic Law of Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, issued in June by President Daniel Noboa. Through Executive Decree No. 422, Ecuador created a specific control framework for online sports betting, a sector that had previously operated without clear rules in the country. Under that decree, betting houses must obtain a Single Operating Licence for five years, with the same annual cost of 655 unified basic salaries.