Panama’s gambling sector recorded PAB 1.61bn in gross revenue for the H1 2026, up 16.5% year-on-year, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).
Online gambling recorded the strongest growth, with revenue rising 59.8% to PAB 379.75m.
Type A slot machines generated PAB 1.11bn, up 7%, while table games rose 18.6% to PAB 87.42m. Bingo revenue increased 6% to PAB 3.34m.
Meanwhile, lottery revenue fell 4.1% to PAB 400.68m and racetrack betting dropped 7.2% to PAB 13.44m. Sports event betting also declined by 0.8%.
Yinette Chandeck of the Panamanian Association of Gaming Operators (APOJUEGO) said the sector’s growth reflects its continued recovery following the pandemic.
Economists also pointed to a growing shift towards online gambling, while suggesting that illegal lottery operations may have contributed to the decline in lottery sales.
At the same time, Panamanian lawmakers are weighing a bill that would turn the sale of illegal lottery tickets into a criminal offense rather than a matter for administrative penalties alone.
The measure, introduced by last month by deputy Roberto Zúñiga, targets the sale, promotion and distribution of lottery tickets outside the official channels run by the Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (LNB) known locally as "chances clandestinos."
Panama's constitution reserves games of chance for the state, particularly those tied to social welfare funding and managed by the LNB.
According to the bill's supporting documents, illegal sales of tickets, chances and foreign lotteries have grown steadily in recent years, operating without oversight and diverting revenue that would otherwise go to the LNB.
In March, Panama passed a bill which requires online platforms to use biometric verification to prevent underage gambling
