The Colombian gaming regulator Coljuegos has authorized Betano to conduct online gambling operations in the country. The brand, owned by Kaizen Gaming Colombia, is one of the additional 16 online gambling operators currently permitted to operate in Colombia.
Regarding this authorization, Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié stated: "We will continue to strengthen the internet gaming industry. We hope that with the addition of this new operator, we can continue to increase support for the health of Colombians. The platform is now open to the gambling public."
"We see that online gambling is one of the economic sectors driving the growth of the country's GDP. Therefore, we are working to make the market more attractive and to offer more choices to gamblers."
In fact, the agency estimates that by the end of this year, online gambling platforms will pay the agency COP 419.5 billion (USD 95.5 million) in operating rights fees, a 31% increase year-over-year. Additionally, Betano is expected to pay Coljuegos a total of COP 21.5 million in operating rights fees and management fees over the next five years.
All these funds are transferred to the national health system, subsidizing healthcare and funding scientific research.
Currently, there are 16 operators in Colombia, including Betsson, Luckia, BetPlay, Bwin, Rivalo, Zamba, and Stake.
Other operators in the country include Novomatic, which introduced its land-based Fazi Mega Pay roulette machine to Gran Casino Buenavista and Zamba Plaza del Parque in May.
This authorization comes as neighboring Brazil is about to regulate its online gaming market. Several operators have already been pre-approved, including Stake, Fazi, and Booming Games.
