In Colombia, there are only 16 authorized portals for operating online betting.
Colombia.- As part of the fight against illegality, Coljuegos managed to block 10,000 websites and social media profiles that were engaged in operating games of chance illegally and without paying the respective exploitation rights.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of Coljuegos, declared: "During our administration, we have managed to strongly attack the illegals who, through fraudulent sites, operate games of chance without the respective authorization. This is the highest number of blocked portals in the history of our entity."
Among the portals that were blocked by the authorities are virtual bingos and casinos, as well as sports betting platforms and profiles that conducted raffles and promotional games illegally.
"From the entity, we are following the instructions of President Gustavo Petro: to combat illegality in the industry and protect resources for the health of Colombians," added Hincapié.
It is worth remembering that in Colombia there are only 16 authorized portals to operate online betting, which, during 2024, paid around COP435.248m (USD10.3m) for exploitation rights. All these resources were transferred by Coljuegos to strengthen the country's subsidized regime.
See also: Lottery games, chance and Raspa&Listo transferred more than USD145m to Colombia's health funds in 2024
On the other hand, Coljuegos reminded that currently the entity is advancing 35 administrative sanctioning processes against influencers and companies that, through social networks, operate raffles and promotions illegally.
In addition, the entity requested the Cybernetic Police Center and the company Meta to block another 289 social media profiles like Facebook and Instagram that have conducted raffles, bingos, promotions, or advertising for unauthorized betting houses in the country.
"The operation of games of chance without authorization is a crime contemplated in article 312 of the Penal Code. In addition, those found responsible could receive a sanction of 100 legal minimum monthly wages," explained from Coljuegos.
Last Tuesday, January 28, the technical deputy minister of Finance of Colombia, Juanita Villaveces, revealed before the Congress of the Republic the three new tax measures that the Government will implement with the aim of addressing the emergency in Catatumbo, a region marked by decades of armed conflict and a recent humanitarian crisis.
The three new taxes are: 19 percent VAT on online games of chance; stamp duty; and tax on the export of coal and oil. Villaveces highlighted that these decisions are extraordinary and are justified under the legal framework of internal commotion, which allows the Executive to adopt exceptional measures to ensure public order and the functioning of the State.
According to estimates, the measure on gambling games would allow the Colombian government to collect approximately COP519m (USD123m), which would be complemented with the reallocation of royalty resources, with which the total amount to address the emergency in Catatumbo would exceed one trillion Colombian pesos among the three new taxes.
