Alex Smith
Sophia NovakivskaRegulator: ColjuegosPlayers: legal15 licensed online operators as of May 2026; record blocking and seizure campaign against illegal gambling.
Online gambling in Colombia is a state monopoly run under Law 643 of 2001, with online betting treated as a "novelty game" under article 38 as amended by Law 1753 of 2015. The regulator, Coljuegos, grants concession contracts to private operators, who must pay exploitation rights to the subsidised health system. As of May 2026 Coljuegos lists 15 authorised online operators and runs an extensive campaign of website blocking and seizures against unlicensed gambling.
At a glance
- Legal for players
- Players: legal Online betting is legal only through operators holding a concession contract with Coljuegos; unlicensed sites are illegal and blocked.
- Licence types
- Concession contract for online novelty games (betting, casino, slots)
- Who is punished
- Operators and promoters (including influencers); no player penalties found on official pages
- Penalties
- Fines (80–100 monthly minimum wages), website blocking via ICT Ministry and ISPs, seizures, criminal referral (Penal Code art. 312, 6–8 years)
Law-change timeline
- Resolution 22654 of 2024 sets national responsible-gambling guidelines for operators, including self-exclusion for online novelty games
- Coljuegos reports blocking 10,000 websites and social profiles; 16 authorised online portals at the time
- Coljuegos asks ISPs to block Polymarket and opens an investigation; electoral bets are treated as unregulated, illegal gambling
- MrYoker authorised under contract C2261 of 2026, bringing licensed online operators to 15
- Coljuegos reports record results: 58,916 blocking orders, 209 sanctions, 12,852 items seized
Enforcement (7)
| Date | Who | Penalty | Why | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illegal operation in Popayán | Seizure of 397 items | Illegal gambling equipment, withholding over COP 210 million a year from subsidised health | notice | |
| Yeferson Esteban Cossio Castaño (influencer) | Fine of COP 116 million; barred from gambling operation for five years once final | Operating an unauthorised promotional game of chance on Instagram | notice | |
| Various illegal operators (2022–2026 balance) | 209 sanctions totalling over COP 94,739 million; 58,916 blocking orders | Unauthorised gambling and promotion of illegal betting | notice | |
| Polymarket | Blocking requested from ISPs; investigation opened | Unauthorised electoral betting platform | notice | |
| Unlicensed websites and social profiles | 10,000 blocked; 289 more Meta profiles reported; 35 sanction proceedings against influencers and companies | Unauthorised betting, raffles and promotions | notice | |
| Unauthorised operators | 168 cases referred to the Attorney General's Office | Operating slot machines and internet betting modules without authorisation | notice | |
| Illegal online betting sites | 14,570 blocking orders over four years | Operating without authorisation | notice |
Regulator
Sources
- Coljuegos — Coljuegos reports record results: 58,916 blocking orders, 209 sanctions, 12,852 items seized · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — MrYoker authorised under contract C2261 of 2026, bringing licensed online operators to 15 · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Coljuegos asks ISPs to block Polymarket and opens an investigation; electoral bets are treated as unregulated, illegal gambling · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Coljuegos reports blocking 10,000 websites and social profiles; 16 authorised online portals at the time · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Resolution 22654 of 2024 sets national responsible-gambling guidelines for operators, including self-exclusion for online novelty games · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Illegal operation in Popayán · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Yeferson Esteban Cossio Castaño (influencer) · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Unauthorised operators · coljuegos.gov.co · checked
- Coljuegos — Illegal online betting sites · coljuegos.gov.co · checked