Coljuegos (COLJ)

by

Adam Maclean

Part of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Coljuegos is the regulator of all gambling activities in Colombia, both online and land-based. Since its inception in 2012, Coljuegos has endeavoured to maintain the state monopoly and implement a framework which promotes legal and responsible gambling.

Play well, Play legal

The authority began licensing online casinos in 2016, as a measure of control over the rising popularity of online gambling websites which were not under the authority of the jurisdiction at the time. Previous to this, only land-based casinos were regulated. The main responsibilites of Coljeugos are to:

Propose and issue regulations
Supervise gaming operators and enforce compliance with regulations
Prevent illegal gambling
Ensure that gambling is operated in a way that is transparent and safe for players
Provide licenses to operators

Note:

One of the aims of the gambling monopoly is to generate income with which to finance public health services in Colombia. All income obtained must be designated for socially useful purposes.

Licenses can (and must) be obtained by both local and foreign gambling companies wishing to offer their services to players in Colombia, and any illegally operated sites face serious sanctions that could include hefty fines and a prison sentence of up to 8 years.

How to check a license

Coljuegos maintains a register on their website which lists all authorized operators and provides direct links to their associated websites. There are 16 authorized websites to date, all of which offer both casino games and sports betting.

It is also recommended to check the operator's website address ends in ".co", as this is a requirement for all licensed domains.

Complaints

Colombian casinos must act according to high standards, and Coljeugos actively assists players with disputes regarding online operators both licensed and unlicensed. Should a player wish to report unfair treatment by an operator, a complaint can be lodged by completing and submitting the Requests, Complaints, Claims and Information Requests Form.

Additionally, it is also possible to report establishments and/or Games of Luck and Chance that operate illegally by completing the Illegal Games Complaint Form.

coljuegos complaint form — Screenshot of the Coljuegos complaint form

Being responsible is part of the game

An important aim of Coljeugos is to promote player safety and responsible gambling. It considers that it is the right of the player to be informed about the dangers associated with gambling, to be protected and to have the support of the authority when playing at licensed sites. It is also the responsibility of all operators to ensure that responsible gambling information is made directly accessible to players.

Although there is no way to register an exclusion at the Coljeugos website, all gambling sites must provide players with the ability to self-exclude. Any exclusions must be reported to the authority so that they may be added to the national register, and this will then apply at all gambling services until it expires or is removed.

Contact Information

Coljeugos

Address: Cra 11 No. 93A - 85 Bogota DC, Colombia

Tel: + 57 (601) 742 0698

E-mail: contactenos@coljuegos.gov.co

Website: https://www.coljuegos.gov.co/