Nicaragua destroyed 369 slot machines seized or technically unusable, in an offensive targeting unlicensed venues, money laundering, gambling addiction, minors, and organized crime. The operation, conducted on July 16, 2026, was coordinated by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit through its Office of Casinos and Gaming Halls.
A commission verified the inventory and supervised dismantling with heavy equipment to prevent the machines’ return to the illegal market. Representatives of the Interior Ministry, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and National Police participated. The remains were buried or delivered to an authorized recycling facility in Tipitapa, Managua.
The government did not publicly identify casinos, gaming halls, owners, detainees, or individual seizure locations. It disclosed no brands, serial numbers, estimated value, fines, evaded taxes, or breakdown showing how many machines were illegal and how many were irreparable.
The action was authorized by Law 766, the Special Law for the Control and Regulation of Casinos and Gaming Halls, approved in 2011, amended in 2014, and implemented through Decree 06-2015. Article 42 creates the commission; Article 43 requires an inventory, location, date, officials’ names, and signatures; Article 44 establishes a maximum of 15 days from seizure; Article 45 lists the grounds; and Article 46 empowers the regulator to determine method, location, security, and environmental treatment.
The Finance Ministry is the enforcement authority, while the Office of Casinos issues permit, inspects equipment, maintains records, imposes penalties, and closes unauthorized venues. The law requires licensed slot machines to provide a minimum theoretical return of 85 percent.
As of July 2026, the ministry’s led by Vice Minister Nicolás Espinoza Rivera under senior management. It does not name the current Office of Casinos director. A 2022 audit identified Keyner Paul Escoto Arcia as acting director but provides no evidence that he remains in office.
