Honduras opened a new regulatory front on September 24, 2026, with the introduction of a proposed Player Protection and Responsible Gambling Law, promoted by congressman Carlos Alberto Umaña David, representative for Cortés, to establish self-exclusion mechanisms and court-ordered access restrictions for casinos, slot machines and other gambling activities. The initiative remains at an early legislative stage and must still be debated by the National Congress.
The bill seeks to prevent problem gambling from putting family property and household assets at risk. Umaña proposes allowing players to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling venues and, in certain cases, enabling a judge to order restrictions. The lawmaker also raised concerns about operators allowing gambling through credit cards, warning that gambling losses can become financial debt.
Tomás Zambrano
The proposal would cover casinos, slot machine halls, games of chance and other betting establishments. However, the full text has not yet been published, meaning key details remain unclear, including the duration of self-exclusion, penalties, creation of a national registry, the authority responsible for administering it, deposit limits or a formal ban on credit-funded gambling.
The current framework remains based on the Casino and Games of Chance Law, Decree 488-77, while the Secretariat of Governance, Justice and Decentralization participates in authorizations for gambling activities through its Departmental Regime Directorate, which requires prior applications, location details, validity periods, game rules and legal representation.
On taxation, the Revenue Administration Service (SAR) maintains the Casino and Slot Machine Contribution, code 504, among its special tax obligations. The final decision will rest with the National Congress, chaired by Tomás Zambrano, who was elected for the 2026–2030 term with the support of 86 of 128 lawmakers. The proposal also comes as Honduras continues a separate debate over the regulation of online casinos, meaning 2026 is concentrating parallel discussions on digital licensing and direct player protection.
