Colombia blocks 10,000 websites and social media profiles for illegal gambling

Colombian gambling regulator Coljuegos has announced the blocking of 10,000 websites and social media profiles that were operating games of chance without authorization and without paying the required exploitation fees.

Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of Coljuegos, highlighted the significance of this action in the fight against illegal gambling. "We have successfully taken strong action against illegal operators running unauthorized gambling sites. This is the highest number of blocked portals in the history of our institution," he stated.

The blocked sites include virtual bingo platforms, online casinos, sports betting websites, and social media profiles promoting unauthorized raffles and promotional games.

Hincapié reiterated that Coljuegos is working to combat illegality in the industry and ensure that revenues from regulated gambling contribute to the national healthcare system. He also pointed out that only 16 licensed platforms are authorized to operate online gambling in Colombia. These platforms collectively paid approximately COP 435.248 billion in exploitation fees in 2024, funds allocated to support the country’s subsidized healthcare system.

Additionally, Coljuegos is currently conducting 35 administrative sanctioning processes against influencers and companies promoting unauthorized raffles and gambling activities on social media. The entity has also requested that the Cyber Police Center and Meta block 289 more social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram involved in advertising or conducting illegal gambling activities.

Operating games of chance without a license in Colombia is a criminal offense under Article 312 of the Penal Code. Offenders could face penalties of up to 100 times the legal monthly minimum wage.