Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the JCJ decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in Panama.
The hemisphere's banking hub licenses its gaming: internet gaming authorisation from the Junta de Control de Juegos - the gaming board under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, running a licensed online regime since 2002 - through a Panamanian entity, with territorial tax logic and dollarised banking behind it. A real licence in a real financial centre.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Panama in brief
A licensed regime in a banking capital.
Panama regulates gambling through the Junta de Control de Juegos - the gaming control board operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and has run a licensed regime for internet gaming since 2002, refreshed by JCJ resolutions through 2020's internet-gaming rules. The architecture is administrative and defined: a Panamanian entity applies to the JCJ with the corporate, technical and fit-and-proper file its resolutions prescribe, pays authorisation fees per the current schedule, and operates under the board's supervision with reporting to the MEF's executive secretariat. The state has modernised deliberately - streamlined procedures and formal banking initiatives for licensed gaming operators are on the public record.
The jurisdiction around the licence is the argument: Panama is the hemisphere's banking hub - dollarised, deep in correspondent relationships, experienced with international structures - with territorial taxation that keeps foreign-source income outside the local net, the Americas' time zones and a professional-services sector built for cross-border groups. For operators serving Latin American books especially, a JCJ authorisation pairs regulatory standing with the region's best financial infrastructure. Fees and current requirements are confirmed against the JCJ's resolutions at filing - the schedules are administrative and updated, and we build the entity, the technical file and the authorisation end to end from Panama City.
The banking hub's licence: JCJ internet gaming authorisation under the MEF - a regime since 2002, current rules per the 2020 resolutions, Panamanian entity, fees per living schedules confirmed at filing.
Territorial tax, dollarised banking, LatAm's natural seat. We build entity, file and banking from Panama City.
The two lanes
The operator authorisation - and the group seat.
Panama's offer is double: the JCJ's internet-gaming authorisation for the operator, and the jurisdiction's banking-hub standing for the group. We build either - or both together.
The JCJ authorisation, and the banking-hub group seat.
01 - JCJ INTERNET GAMING
The operator authorisation
The board's permission for online gaming through a Panamanian entity: the corporate, technical and fit-and-proper file per JCJ resolutions, fees per the current schedule, supervision under the MEF.
The board's permission for online gaming through a Panamanian entity: the corporate, technical and fit-and-proper file per JCJ resolutions, fees per the current schedule, supervision under the MEF.
- ✓Internet gaming authorisation
- ✓Panamanian entity as licensee
- ✓JCJ resolutions govern the file
- ✓Fees per current schedule - confirmed
- ✓MEF-supervised regime since 2002
- ✓LatAm books' natural licence
02 - THE BANKING-HUB SEAT
The group layerThe financial-centre base
Panama as the group's financial seat: dollarised banking, correspondent depth and territorial tax. The treasury and holding architecture international gaming groups actually need, licensed or paired.
Panama as the group's financial seat: dollarised treasury, correspondent depth, territorial planning. Pairs with any licensed flag.
- ✓Dollarised banking relationships
- ✓Correspondent-network depth
- ✓Territorial tax planning
- ✓Holding and treasury structures
- ✓Pairs with any licensed flag
- ✓The hemisphere's financial hub
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. JCJ fees follow its current resolutions and are confirmed at filing; banking and substance costs are itemised in your quote.
Why Panama
The licence with a banking system attached.
Panama pairs a two-decade licensed regime with the hemisphere's financial infrastructure.
✓
A regime since 2002
The JCJ has licensed internet gaming for over two decades. Administrative practice, precedents and institutional memory most offshore flags lack.Institutional memory.
✓
The banking hub
Dollarised, correspondent-deep and experienced with international groups. The financial infrastructure gaming treasuries actually need.The real dividend.
✓
Territorial taxation
Panama taxes Panamanian-source income. Foreign-source gaming revenue is planned cleanly under long-established territorial rules.Settled rules.
✓
State modernisation
Streamlined JCJ procedures and formal banking initiatives for licensed operators are public policy. The state wants the sector banked.Banked by policy.
✓
LatAm's natural seat
Spanish-language regulation, the Americas' time zones and the region's business capital. The licence Latin books read natively.Spanish, right zone.
✓
Professional depth
The legal, audit and corporate sector of a hemispheric hub. Cross-border structures are the city's daily work.Cross-border daily.
How it compares
How Panama differs from other routes.
The comparison that matters: a real administrative licence plus a real banking system. With fees confirmed against living schedules.
Panama vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Panama | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | JCJ under the MEF - 2002 | Varies widely |
| Banking | Hemispheric hub, dollarised | The usual bottleneck |
| Tax | Territorial | 0-35% spread |
| Fees | Per JCJ resolutions | Fixed schedules typical |
Regime
PanamaJCJ under the MEF - 2002
Other jurisdictionsVaries widely
Banking
PanamaHemispheric hub, dollarised
Other jurisdictionsThe usual bottleneck
Tax
PanamaTerritorial
Other jurisdictions0-35% spread
Fees
PanamaPer JCJ resolutions
Other jurisdictionsFixed schedules typical
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | JCJ internet gaming | Territorial + JCJ terms | Panamanian entity, JCJ file |
 Costa Rica | No gaming licence - base only | Territorial | Municipal permit + real licences |
 Curaçao | CGA online gaming | 22% profit tax | BV + resident director |
 Antigua | Interactive gaming · wagering | IGIWR fees | Audits, KYC |
PanamaLicense typeJCJ internet gaming
TaxationTerritorial + JCJ terms
RequirementsPanamanian entity, JCJ file
Costa RicaLicense typeNo gaming licence - base only
TaxationTerritorial
RequirementsMunicipal permit + real licences
CuraçaoLicense typeCGA online gaming
Taxation22% profit tax
RequirementsBV + resident director
AntiguaLicense typeInteractive gaming · wagering
TaxationIGIWR fees
RequirementsAudits, KYC
Before you apply
Requirements for the Panama authorisation.Requirements for the authorisation.
The JCJ authorises documented, fit-and-proper operators per its resolutions. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Panamanian entity. Incorporated for the authorisation with the corporate hygiene the board expects.
02
Clean ownership. Shareholders and beneficial owners documented, with source-of-funds evidence.
03
Fit-and-proper people. Directors and managers with verifiable records.
04
The JCJ file. The corporate, financial and technical documentation its resolutions prescribe, current at filing.
05
Technical platform documentation. Systems, games and controls described to the board's standard.
06
Fees per schedule. Authorisation and periodic fees per the current resolutions, confirmed and budgeted.
07
Responsible-gaming measures. Player protections aligned to the board's requirements.
08
AML/CFT programme. Panamanian law compliance with named officers; the banking hub examines it too.
09
Banking architecture. Operator and player-fund accounts built with Panama's institutions, sequenced with the file.
10
Reporting machinery. The board's returns and the MEF's supervision owned as a calendar.
01
Panamanian entity, clean.
02
Owners documented.
03
Fit-and-proper people.
04
JCJ file per resolutions.
05
Technical documentation.
06
Fees confirmed, budgeted.
07
Responsible gaming aligned.
08
AML with named officers.
09
Banking built early.
10
Reporting calendared.
Reflects the JCJ's resolutions (including the 2020 internet-gaming rules) as of 2026. Schedules are administrative. Confirmed at filing.JCJ resolutions incl. 2020 rules - confirmed at filing.
How it works
From first call to the JCJ register.
01
Scope and strategy
The book, the entity plan and the current JCJ schedule confirmed. Fixed in writing before any drafting.Schedule confirmed first.
02
Entity and people
Panamanian company formed, owners and managers documented for the board.Documented for the board.
03
The JCJ file
Corporate, technical and compliance documentation per the resolutions. Complete at filing.Per resolutions, complete.
04
Board review
Question rounds answered in Spanish - 3-6 months realistic end to end.3-6 months realistic.
05
Authorisation and launch
Register entry, banking live, reporting calendared. A licensed operator in the banking hub.Banking on.
Quick facts
RegulatorJCJ - under the MEF
Regime since2002
Current rulesJCJ resolutions · 2020
VehiclePanamanian entity
FeesPer schedule - confirmed
BankingHemispheric hub
Tax logicTerritorial
Realistic timeline3-6 months
Panama's schedules are administrative and current. Confirming them at filing and building the banking early is the entire game, and our job.
On the ground in Panama
Run from our Panama City office.
Prifinance - Panama
Panama City · Panama
Panama City, Panama
01
Entity and structure
Panamanian company built for the authorisation. With the group seat structured where the banking hub adds most.Built for both roles.
02
The JCJ file
Corporate, technical and compliance documentation assembled to the board's resolutions, and defended through its review in Spanish.Spanish, defended.
03
Banking architecture
The hub's real advantage delivered: operator, player-fund and treasury accounts built with Panamanian institutions.The hub, delivered.
04
LatAm strategy
The regional book mapped. Where Panama's authorisation carries, where local regimes apply, and how the group serves both.Real coverage.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in Panama.
Territorial logic in a dollarised hub. The fiscal frame gaming treasuries plan around.
Territorial taxation
Panama taxes Panamanian-source income. Foreign-source gaming revenue is planned under rules a century of practice has settled.A century settled.
JCJ terms as the sector charge
Authorisation and periodic fees per the board's resolutions. The gaming-specific line, confirmed at filing.The sector charge.
Dollarised books
The US dollar is legal tender - no conversion layer between the book, the banking and the reporting.No conversion layer.
Holding architecture
Panama's corporate toolkit. Foundations, holdings, treasury companies. Built for cross-border groups, used deliberately.Built for groups.
No FX friction
Free movement of funds in the hemisphere's banking hub. Repatriation is a transfer, not an application.Transfers, not filings.
Owner-level planning
CFC and residency rules in the founders' countries complete the picture. Modelled per structure.CFC completes it.
Tax summary
SystemTerritorial
Sector chargeJCJ fees per schedule
CurrencyUS dollar - legal tender
FX controlsNone
Planning levelGroup + owner
*As of 2026 per Panamanian law and JCJ resolutions. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Panamanian company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, authorised operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Panama · JCJ
Launch your gaming project in Panama with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the Panamanian entity to the JCJ file, banking architecture and reporting calendar - run through our Panama City office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Panama the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Panama gaming licence: quick answers.
Who licenses gambling in Panama?+
The Junta de Control de Juegos - the gaming control board under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which has run a licensed regime for internet gaming since 2002, with current rules set by its resolutions including the 2020 internet-gaming framework.
What does the authorisation cost?+
Fees run per the JCJ's current resolutions - administrative schedules the board updates, and are confirmed at filing and itemised in your quote alongside banking and substance costs. We do not quote stale numbers as law.
What entity is required?+
A Panamanian entity as the licensee, with documented ownership, fit-and-proper management and the corporate hygiene the board's file demands - built for the authorisation from day one.
Why Panama over pure offshore flags?+
The banking: Panama is the hemisphere's financial hub - dollarised, correspondent-deep and formally engaged in banking licensed gaming. The licence comes with the financial infrastructure the others make you hunt for.
How are operators taxed?+
Territorially: Panamanian-source income is taxed locally, foreign-source revenue is planned under settled territorial rules - with the JCJ's fees as the sector charge and the US dollar as legal tender throughout.
How long does authorisation take?+
Realistically 3-6 months including the entity, the technical file and the board's review - conducted in Spanish, which our Panama City team handles natively.
Which markets can a Panama licensee serve?+
The global book outside ring-fenced markets, with particular strength in Latin America - regulated markets (Colombia, Brazil and others) need their own local licences, and we map the regional strategy precisely.
What ongoing obligations apply?+
The board's reporting and the MEF's supervision, responsible-gaming measures, AML under Panamanian law - plus the banking hub's own compliance expectations. We stand the calendar up with the authorisation.
Panama or Costa Rica for a LatAm operation?+
Different layers: Costa Rica is the operating hub with no licence; Panama is the licence with the banking system. The strongest LatAm builds use both - San José operations, Panama authorisation and treasury. We build the pair.
Why Prifinance for Panama?+
A Panama City office, files built to the board's resolutions in Spanish, the banking architecture delivered as the licence's real dividend, and the LatAm group mapped precisely.
Who licenses?+
JCJ under the MEF.
Cost?+
Per resolutions - confirmed.
Entity?+
Panamanian licensee.
Why Panama?+
The banking system.
Taxes?+
Territorial + JCJ fees.
How long?+
3-6 months realistic.
Markets?+
Global + LatAm strength.
Ongoing?+
Board reporting, AML.
Or Costa Rica?+
Pair them - hub + licence.
Why you?+
Spanish files, real banking.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
Start today
One message away from your Panama gaming licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Panama route fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Junta de Control de Juegos (JCJ) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.