Ecuador President confirms reopening of casinos and gaming halls to be decided by referendum

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa confirmed that a referendum or popular consultation will be held to decide whether casinos and gambling halls will be allowed to operate in hotels, with the condition that they will pay 25% of their sales in taxes.

Through the social media platform X, the Ecuadorian leader stated that there will be "a public consultation asking the people about issues that have been of popular interest and in urgent need of change for years."

Noboa's proposal comprises seven questions, the seventh of which refers to land-based gambling.

"Do you agree with allowing the operation of gaming halls and casinos dedicated to gambling in five-star hotels, which will pay the State a tax of 25% of their sales from this activity, to finance programs to fight chronic child malnutrition and school feeding, as regulated by the National Assembly through law?” it reads.

7.¿Está usted de acuerdo con permitir el funcionamiento de salas de juego y casinos dedicados a juegos de azar en hoteles categorizados con cinco estrellas, quienes entregarán al Estado un tributo del veinte y cinco por ciento (25 %) de sus ventas por esta actividad, para el…

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) August 5, 2025

According to local media, the vote will take place on December 14, and because the questions require partial amendments to the Constitution, they must follow the procedure established in Article 441 of the Constitution and in the Organic Law on Jurisdictional Guarantees and Constitutional Control.

To hold the referendum, the process must comply with a series of steps defined by the Constitution. First, the president must submit the executive decree calling for a popular consultation to the Constitutional Court, along with the text of the questions and their respective annexes.

After that, the Court must issue a ruling on constitutionality, verifying that the questions do not violate fundamental rights, do not deal with prohibited matters, and comply with the principles of clarity, unity of subject matter, and transparency. Only with a favorable ruling can the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially call for a vote.

It should be noted that, in early 2024, Noboa considered the possibility of reopening gaming halls and casinos, also through a referendum. However, the initiative was reversed due to pressure from various political sectors opposed to gambling because of its ties to drug trafficking and money laundering.