TLDR
- Coljuegos has blocked 46,228 illegal gambling websites since 2022, according to its Official Bulletin No. 25.
- Since the regulator began, it has issued 55,658 total blocking orders, with most coming under the current government.
- Coljuegos credits an Artificial Intelligence Center for improving detection and blocking of unlicensed sites.
- The regulator is working with Colombia’s Ministry of ICT to speed up blocking through internet service providers.
- Colombia’s Council of State made a suspension of Coljuegos’ 2023 Advertising Resolution permanent in June.
Colombia’s gambling regulator, Coljuegos, has blocked 46,228 illegal gambling websites since 2022. The agency shared the number in its Official Bulletin No. 25.
The blocks target sites that offer gambling services without a license in Colombia. Coljuegos said the current government has driven most of this enforcement activity.
Since Coljuegos was created, it has issued 55,658 total blocking orders. That means about 83 percent of all blocks in the regulator’s history happened in the last few years.
AI Tools Speed Up Detection
Coljuegos President Marcos Emilio Hincapié said technology played a big role in the increase. He pointed to the regulator’s Artificial Intelligence Center as a key tool.
“Never before has an administration fought illegal gambling so decisively,” Hincapié said. He added that the AI Center helped optimize detection and blocking orders for sites operating without authorization.
The regulator said this shift in strategy let it act faster against unlicensed operators. Illegal gambling has remained one of the biggest challenges for Colombia’s regulated market.
Working With Internet Providers
Coljuegos also pointed to its partnership with Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, known as MinTIC. The two agencies have worked together to make blocking orders move faster.
“We have been working with the Ministry of ICT to simplify the process with Internet Service Providers,” Hincapié said. He said the goal is to block any site that operates or promotes illegal betting.
Coljuegos currently authorizes 15 gambling operators in Colombia. These include Wplay, Bwin, Zamba, Stake, Sportium, FullReto, Luckia, Ya Juego, William Hill, Rivalo, MegApuesta, Betsson, BetPlay, Codere, and RushBet.
The regulator asked players to only use licensed platforms. Hincapié said doing so protects personal data and bets, while also supporting healthcare funding for vulnerable citizens in Colombia.
Separate from the enforcement push, Coljuegos is facing a legal fight over its advertising rules. The case centers on the regulator’s 2023 Advertising Resolution.
In June, Colombia’s Council of State made a partial suspension of that resolution permanent. No appeals were filed against the earlier precautionary measures, which let the suspension stand.
Lawyers at Sora Law Firm argued that parts of the resolution placed too much burden on licensed operators. The suspended rules included limits on advertising and marketing spending.
Other suspended provisions required operators to submit annual advertising plans and quarterly reports to Coljuegos. Rules on administrative sanctions and prior authorization for certain corporate actions were also paused.
Juan Camilo Carrasco, Managing Partner at Sora Lawyers, commented on the ruling. He called it “a great relief for the industry” in a post on LinkedIn.
The two developments show Coljuegos moving on separate fronts. It is stepping up enforcement against illegal operators, while its own advertising rules for licensed operators face ongoing legal review.
