The Colombian regulator says more than 12,852 illegal gambling items were seized and 58,916 website blocking orders issued
Coljuegos has reported the strongest anti-illegal gambling results in its history, after an enforcement campaign that targeted unauthorised land-based equipment, illegal betting websites and criminal structures operating outside Colombia’s regulated gaming market.
The regulator said its strategy during the current national administration has helped strengthen legality, protect public resources and recover funds that should support the Colombian health system.
According to Coljuegos, 12,852 illegal gambling elements were seized across 24 departments of the country.
The seizures were made through 514 operations carried out in coordination with the National Police, the Office of the Attorney General, territorial authorities and other competent public bodies.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“The criminal structures that operate games without authorisation have never had such a difficult time. We have delivered historic blows against illegal operators in the country’s main cities. For this administration, there were never any forbidden territories.”
For the Colombian gambling sector, the figures show a more aggressive enforcement phase.
Illegal gambling remains a direct threat to licensed operators, players and public finances. It diverts money away from the regulated system and reduces the resources transferred to subsidised health services.
Coljuegos said that, for the first time in the entity’s history, it achieved the destruction of 15,644 illegal elements.
These included electronic slot machines, betting modules, roulettes and other equipment used to operate games of chance outside the law.
The regulator said these illegal activities caused more than COP$400,000 million, approximately US$130 million, to stop entering Colombia’s health system.
That loss directly affected resources intended to support healthcare for millions of citizens.
The digital part of the strategy was also a major focus.
Coljuegos said it issued 58,916 blocking orders against websites dedicated to operating or promoting illegal betting.
That total included 437 social media profiles that promoted unauthorised betting houses.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“The strategy also focused on the digital environment. During this period, Coljuegos issued 58,916 blocking orders against websites dedicated to operating and promoting illegal betting, including 437 social media profiles that promoted unauthorised betting houses.
“We transferred more than 1,961 processes to the Office of the Attorney General that had been stalled since 2017, with the objective of investigating those responsible for these illegal activities.”
The digital enforcement figures are important because illegal gambling is no longer limited to physical venues.
Unlicensed betting sites, social media promotion and offshore platforms can reach Colombian consumers quickly, while avoiding local taxes, health transfers, responsible gaming rules and consumer protections.
Blocking orders have therefore become one of Coljuegos’ main tools for disrupting illegal online gambling.
The regulator also imposed 209 sanctions for illegal activity, with a total value of more than COP$94,739 million, approximately US$29.7 million.
Coljuegos described this as one of the strongest administrative actions in its history.
The results were supported by 56 legality pacts signed with mayors’ offices, governorates, gambling operators, trade associations and chance concessionaires.
These agreements were designed to strengthen institutional and territorial responsibility in the protection of public resources.
That local cooperation is central to enforcement in Colombia.
Illegal gambling operations often depend on physical locations, regional networks, informal machines and local promotion. National regulatory action is stronger when municipalities, departments, police bodies and legal operators share intelligence and coordinate action.
For licensed operators, the campaign also sends a commercial message.
The regulator is trying to protect the legal market from unfair competition by targeting operators that avoid authorisation, reporting, tax obligations and health transfers.
For consumers, the message is about risk. Illegal gambling sites and venues do not provide the same safeguards as authorised operators. They may expose players to fraud, non-payment, lack of dispute resolution and wider criminal activity.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“Fighting illegality is not only about combating crime; it is about recovering opportunities, protecting citizens’ trust and guaranteeing that every peso that previously fed illegal structures can now become wellbeing for millions of Colombian men and women.”
The enforcement balance reinforces Coljuegos’ broader positioning under the current administration.
The regulator has repeatedly tied the fight against illegal gambling to the defence of healthcare funding. In Colombia, legal gambling transfers are a central part of the sector’s public value proposition.
That makes illegal activity a fiscal issue as well as a criminal and regulatory one.
The latest figures also show how enforcement is expanding across both land-based and digital channels.
Machines, betting modules and roulette equipment remain important targets. But the scale of website blocking shows that online illegal gambling has become a major priority.
The next challenge will be sustainability.
Large seizures, sanctions and blocking orders can disrupt illegal operators, but lasting results depend on continued monitoring, faster investigations, public awareness and strong cooperation between institutions.
Coljuegos’ latest balance gives the regulator a strong enforcement message.
It also raises expectations that Colombia will continue to apply pressure on illegal gambling networks while protecting licensed operators and the health resources generated by the regulated sector.
