Guatemalan Casino and Card Room Gaming

Casinos are prohibited in Guatemala; however, there are a number of venues operating casino games alongside video lottery terminals (VLTs).

The gaming industry is largely unregulated, and many establishments underreport and underpay their earnings and taxes to the government.

Operators must inform the Administration of Special Verification (IVE) of the Bank Superintendence about their financial movements to prevent money laundering. This regulation was created when both the Department of the Interior and the Public Ministry detected that casinos were being used to launder money for organized crime syndicates. Casinos must submit their financial records to IVE to be analyzed. As part of the effort to prevent organized crime involvement and money laundering in casinos, the government of Guatemala revoked licenses and closed down a large number of venues in 2006.