Sixty-one casinos, and where they are
The regulator publishes its own register, which is unusual in the region and worth using instead of a directory. As read in September 2026 it lists 61 casinos. Twenty-three are in La Altagracia, the province of Punta Cana and Bávaro. Eleven are in the Distrito Nacional around Santo Domingo, five in Puerto Plata on the north coast, and the rest are scattered through La Romana and the smaller resort towns.
The distribution follows from the law. Ley 351 of 1964 was written "to contribute to the promotion of tourism" and allows gaming rooms only in hoteles de primera categoría, so a Dominican casino is by construction a hotel casino. The register reads like a list of resort brands: Hard Rock, Barceló, Lopesan, Riu, Iberostar, Bahia Principe, Royalton, Majestic. There is no stand-alone casino district and no equivalent of the Strip; the one Las Vegas-scale floor in the country is the Hard Rock in Punta Cana, and the typical floor is a room off a resort lobby with a handful of tables.
A tax that exists on paper
Ley 253-12 puts a 25% income-tax withholding on prizes and names casinos as withholding agents. Read literally, that is worse than the United States, which at least lets you net losses against wins. In practice the tax authority's General Rule 07-2010 lets each casino discharge the obligation as a fixed presumed monthly payment rather than a deduction from what it hands you, so a visitor who wins at a table in Bávaro is not normally handed a tax slip. Sports-betting shops and lotteries work differently, on a sliding scale that starts at 10% and reaches 25% above one million pesos, and those deductions are real.
Two cautions. The presumed regime is an administrative rule, not the statute, and it can be changed by resolution without a vote. And your own country's treatment of gambling income does not change because the Dominican cage did not deduct anything; an American visitor still owes income tax on the win at home. Nothing here is tax advice.
The laws, in order
- Ley 351 (1964): licences for gaming rooms in first-class hotels, granted by the executive, to promote tourism.
- Ley 96-88 (1988): slot machines permitted inside licensed casinos.
- Ley 24-98 and Ley 29-06: the casino tax regime, set by location and number of tables rather than by revenue.
- Ley 253-12 (2012): the 25% withholding on prizes, administered by the DGII.
- Resolution 136-2024: a licensing regime for online casino and sports betting under the same regulator.
- Resolution 184-2026 (29 April 2026): responsible-gaming rules and a national self-exclusion system. It defines a player as a person aged 18 or over, bars minors and self-excluded people from every venue and platform, and forbids operators from lending to a player so that play can continue.
Anti-money-laundering law (Ley 155-17) is why the cage wants a passport or Dominican cédula for larger transactions; Hard Rock's published threshold is $1,000. Bring the passport, not a copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is gambling legal in the Dominican Republic?
- Yes. Casinos have been licensed since 1964, slot machines since 1988, and online casino and sports betting since Resolution 136-2024. The regulator is the Dirección de Casinos y Juegos de Azar under the finance ministry.
- What is the legal gambling age?
- 18. The 2026 responsible-gaming resolution defines a player as anyone aged 18 or over and bars minors from every casino, betting shop and platform.
- Are casino winnings taxed?
- In law, a 25% withholding on prizes under Ley 253-12. In practice casinos settle it as a fixed presumed monthly sum under General Rule 07-2010, so a table win is not normally taxed at the cage. Your home country may still tax it.
- How many casinos are there?
- The regulator's register lists 61, with 23 in La Altagracia province around Punta Cana, 11 in the Distrito Nacional and 5 in Puerto Plata.
Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in September 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.