Colombia’s online gambling sector contributes just 0.18% to GDP, says Fecoljuegos

According to W Radio, the Colombian Federation of Gaming Entrepreneurs (Fecoljuegos) has contested government claims about the economic weight of online gambling, stating that the sector contributes just 0.18% to the national GDP—not 4.5% as previously suggested by officials.

Fecoljuegos released a technical analysis to clarify the real economic contribution of online gambling in Colombia, following recent government statements that significantly overstated the sector’s role.

The federation explained that its findings, based on official data from 2024 and current regulations, show that online gambling’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product is 0.18%. This figure is based on net operator income, not the total value of bets placed.

“In 2024, total bets placed on digital platforms exceeded COP 45 trillion. However, this number reflects the full volume of money wagered, not operator income,” Fecoljuegos noted in a public statement. “Most of that money is returned to players in the form of winnings. The real income for operators is the margin left after paying out prizes—and it is this net revenue that determines the industry’s economic impact.”

According to Fecoljuegos, the online gambling sector’s net revenue in 2024 was approximately COP 2.9 trillion. Based on this amount, operators are required to contribute 15% in exploitation rights to the health system, which translated into an effective contribution of COP 436 billion to public health last year.

The federation’s analysis comes after the government attempted to include new taxes on gambling in its tax reform proposal, which ultimately failed to pass in Congress. Despite this, the government introduced a temporary VAT on digital games of chance as part of the economic emergency measures for the Catatumbo region, valid until the end of the year.