Fernando Costa, president of Bolivia’s Football Federation (FBF), has called on the Government to regulate sports betting operations across the country.
Since 2010, gambling in Bolivia has been under the purview of the Gambling Control Authority (AJ), who were tasked with enforcing Law No. 060, enacted the same year.
As the primary legislation governing the gambling industry in the country, the law bans all unauthorized operators, including iGaming.
However, it does not provide clear administrative frameworks for operators to apply for local licenses, creating a legal gray area where international gambling sites are able to serve Bolivian players with minimal local intervention.
Because of this, Costa argues that the law must be amended to allow football teams to benefit from the economic impact sports betting has had all over the world.
Speaking to a local outlet, he explained: "It exists worldwide and has become the main source of funding for football globally."
In the UK, for instance, gambling companies' sponsorships of Premiere League teams were valued at £101.1m ($135.43m) in the 2024-2025 season alone.
Following Brazil's ban on online casinos and sports betting, which was enacted through a provisional measure on September 25, several of Brazil's leading football clubs published a joint statement defending the country's regulated betting market.
The statement claims that the ban on sports betting will not only open the doors for illegal operators but will also lead many clubs to insolvency.
Bolivia's AJ operates under Law 060 of 2010, which placed gaming oversight under the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance, making it one of the region’s newer regulatory bodies
