Licensed operators in Panama generated 1,328.8 million US dollars in gross bets between January and May 2026, a 16.2% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
The figures were published by the Comptroller General of the Republic with information from the Gaming Control Board.
Type “A” slot machines remain the main driver of growth in the activity. This segment recorded 932.4 million in bets during the first five months of the year, a 7.3% increase compared to 2025. This represents just over 70% of the total reported by gaming operators.
Another standout segment was online gambling, which reached 299.6 million between January and May, a year-on-year rise of 57%.
Gaming tables, on the other hand, ranked third, with 74.3 million in bets, representing a 23 percent increase compared to 2025.
The rest of the segments showed mixed results. Bets at the Presidente Remón Racetrack totaled 11.4 million, 6.1% less than the previous year; sports betting halls fell 7.5% year-on-year to 7.2 million; bingo halls climbed 6.4% to 2.8 million; and instant games recorded 1.1 million, a decrease of 18.8% compared to 2025.
These figures do not cover the entirety of the country’s betting market. The report includes casinos, the racetrack, bingo halls, sports betting, digital platforms, instant games, and type “A” slot machines, but excludes type “C” slot machines.
The Lottery improves in May
Between January and May 2026, gross sales of the National Charity Lottery (LNB) totaled 344.2 million, 0.6% less than the 346.2 million recorded the previous year.
However, May marked a significant change. That month, the Lottery saw gross sales of 75.3 million, a year-on-year growth of 8%. It was the first significant monthly increase of the year, after a weak start.
In January, LNB sales had dropped 10.2%; in February they decreased 0.4%; in March they barely rose 0.2%; and in April they fell again by 0.3%. May’s result helped offset the accumulated decline.
It is worth noting that in May of this year, the Government of Panama enacted Law No. 527, which establishes measures for the prevention, treatment, and control of problem gambling through the regulation of betting activity.