Puerto Rico has one of the oldest legal gambling cultures in the United States: casino gaming has been legal since Act 221 of 1948, making the island the second US jurisdiction after Nevada to license casinos, and in 2023 the industry marked 75 years. Gambling here is tightly bound to tourism — casinos are legal only inside hotels and resorts — and everyday play centres on the Puerto Rico Lottery, casino slots and, since 2023, regulated sports betting. Attitudes are broadly relaxed and tourism-oriented, though a US federal cockfighting ban that took effect in 2019 targeted a deeply rooted local tradition.

A tourism-driven history

Puerto Rico legalised casinos with Act 221 of 1948, explicitly to contribute toward the development of tourism by authorising games of chance customary in the world’s resort destinations under strict government surveillance. That framing still defines the culture: gaming was never meant as a standalone industry but as an amenity for visitors, which is why casinos remain confined to licensed hotels rather than dedicated gambling halls.

The model endured. By its 75th anniversary in 2023 the island had 18 casinos in operation, and over the prior decade (2013–2023) the government collected about $1.4 billion from casino revenue directed to public causes such as the University of Puerto Rico, the Treasury and the Tourism Company. San Juan is the gaming heart of the island, with the largest concentration of venues in the Condado and Isla Verde areas.

Everyday play: the lottery and beyond

Beyond the casino floor, the Puerto Rico Lottery is a long-standing cultural institution, and traditional Lottery prizes are exempt from income tax. Regulated sports betting, eSports and daily fantasy sports are newer additions, legalised under Act 81-2019 and launched online in 2023, and have added a modern layer to local gambling habits.

The cockfighting ban

Cockfighting was, for centuries, a deeply rooted tradition in Puerto Rico. A US federal ban enacted through the 2018 Farm Bill (which removed the local-law exemption) took effect in December 2019, prohibiting cockfighting across US territories. Puerto Rico initially resisted, passing local legislation to keep the practice alive, but federal courts upheld the ban and the US Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge in 2021. The tradition has not fully disappeared — enforcement is contested and some clandestine activity continues — but licensed cockfighting and betting on it are now prohibited.

Attitudes

Overall, Puerto Rican attitudes toward gambling are relatively relaxed and closely tied to the island’s tourism identity. Casino gaming is normalised as part of the resort experience, the lottery is a familiar part of daily life, and regulated sports betting has been broadly accepted since 2023 — even as offshore and unlicensed online play remains a significant, largely unregulated part of the market.

Sources

18+. Gambling can be addictive — please play responsibly. Free confidential help in Puerto Rico: Línea PAS by ASSMCA, 1-800-981-0023.