Panama boasts countless casinos, but it is far from a gambling destination. Up until Jan 2020 the gambling commission of Panama was taxing all casino payouts to winners at 5.5%, which is ridiculous. You don’t see the casinos in Vegas taxing your winnings. Winning over 10k requires declaring the funds, but that’s the same everywhere. As of January the tax has been reduced down to 2% of the winnings. Anything above zero only continues to drive whales away from Panama as a gambling destination. Anyways, if you’re going to be in Panama and you want to visit the casinos then let me breakdown the top 3 casinos in Panama City:
Ocean Sun Casino
Starbay Casino
Sortis Casino
Ocean Sun Casino, JW Marriott hotel
Located at the JW Marriott hotel, formerly Trump International, it is a fully equipped modern casino. Not known for poker, there are a few table games, but more slots and side games than anything. The sportbook is a comfortable bar, but doubles as a dance bar on some nights. The service isn’t known for being that good, but more and more since the closure of the Veneto casino, the working girls have begun to flock to this casino bar. If you lose everything here, stop by the 66th floor pool bar for a cocktail or two to drown your sorrows as you look out over a spectacular view.
· Sportsbook – yes
· Craps – no
· Table games (black jack, hold em, roulette, basics) – yes
· High stakes – no
· Poker room – no
· Bingo – no
· Nightclub – no
Starbay Casino, Hilton hotel
Right on the waterfront, this is a multi-level casino that frequently hosts live bands and has a modern flashy US style casino vibe. All the main table games are on the bottom floor. There is a nightclub on the second floor. The one thing that blows me away when I’m in this casino is that they give players Sancocho (a hot chicken soup) to eat while at the slots or tables. Maybe it’s just me, but eating soup around machines or on felt tables is never a good idea, but there hasn’t been one visit where I haven’t seen this.
· Sportsbook – no
· Craps – no
· Table games (black jack, hold em, roulette, basics) – yes
· High stakes – no
· Poker room – no
· Bingo – yes
· Nightclub – yes
Sortis Casino, Sortis hotel
Maybe I’m biased, but Sortis casino hits all the boxes for me primarily because of their large sportsbook with giant screens that will show all major US sports and intl soccer matches. Plus, inside the sportsbook bar they have pool tables and shuffle board. Their poker room is open every day and has at least one table running nonstop. They recently added the only craps table I’ve seen in Panama. They’re a little slow on the free drinks when playing, but money talks so just tip and keep them coming.
· Sportsbook – yes
· Craps – yes
· Table games (black jack, hold em, roulette, basics) – yes
· High stakes – no
· Poker room – yes
· Bingo – yes
· Nightclub – yes
