Coljuegos says chance, lotteries and Raspa&Listo transferred COP$2.56 trillion to health funding between 2022 and 2026
Colombia’s territorial games have transferred COP$2.56 trillion, around US$800 million, to the country’s health system between 2022 and 2026, according to Coljuegos.
The figures were presented by Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos, during the General Assembly of the Federación de Loterías de Colombia, Fedelco.
The report covers chance, territorial lotteries and Raspa&Listo, three verticals that have played a significant role in financing Colombia’s subsidised health regime during the current four-year period.
Coljuegos said the 15 territorial lotteries transferred more than COP$1.05 trillion to the health system. Permanent betting, known locally as chance, contributed COP$1.33 trillion.
The regulator linked the results to stronger management of the legal market, anti-illegal gambling work and regulatory modernisation.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“With complete satisfaction and certainty, we can say that the Government of Change, represented by Gustavo Petro, delivered for health and for the games of chance sector. Thanks to our management, territorial games received an unprecedented boost that translated into more resources for the least favoured Colombians.”
The figures also show the commercial scale of the territorial gaming sector. During the four-year period, lottery sales reached COP$2.9 trillion, while chance sales exceeded COP$10.6 trillion.
Coljuegos said those results reflect greater trust from Colombians in legal games.
Hincapié also highlighted the regulator’s work with concessionaires and lotteries to fight unauthorised gambling.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“We have signed more than 40 pacts for legality with chance concessionaires and lotteries to combat the mafias that operate games without authorisation. This has allowed us to strengthen the legal industry in the 32 departments.”
The regulator said its work through the Consejo Nacional de Juegos de Suerte y Azar has focused on transformation across regulation, control, transparency and responsible gaming.
That agenda has included new technical standards for draws, stronger control mechanisms and support for lotteries going through capitalisation and institutional modernisation processes.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“In our administration, from the Consejo Nacional de Juegos de Suerte y Azar, we have developed a transformation agenda that made it possible to update sector regulation, strengthen control and transparency mechanisms, promote responsible gaming, issue new technical standards for draws and support lotteries in capitalisation and institutional modernisation processes.”
Several further regulatory projects have also been structured. These include measures to modernise the lottery regime, incorporate technologies such as Random Number Generation, enable digital draw broadcasts and create exceptional mechanisms to protect lottery financial stability when liquidity risks arise.
That technology agenda matters because lotteries and territorial games must keep modernising while preserving trust in draws, prize payments and public transfers.
The Colombian model gives legal gaming a direct social funding role. Revenue from games of chance supports health financing, making collection, supervision and market channelisation especially important.
Illegal gambling remains one of the main threats to that model. Every unlicensed operator or unauthorised game competes with regulated companies and can reduce the funds available for public health.
Coljuegos has made the fight against illegality one of its central messages during the current administration. The pacts for legality with concessionaires and lotteries are part of that approach.
The growth of territorial games also shows that Colombia’s gaming sector is not only about online betting and casinos. Chance, lotteries and instant lottery products remain important retail verticals with strong regional reach.
That regional dimension is key. Territorial games operate across Colombia’s 32 departments, connecting local sales networks with national health financing objectives.
The report delivered at Fedelco also underlines the institutional role of lotteries. Beyond sales, the sector is being asked to modernise operations, improve transparency and strengthen its financial position.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos
“These results show that when there is a clear vision and coordinated work between the National Government and the country’s lotteries, it is possible to strengthen a strategic sector that not only generates employment and regional development, but also guarantees more resources to finance the health of millions of Colombians.”
Colombia’s latest figures give the legal gaming sector a strong public-interest argument. The challenge now is to protect that contribution through better enforcement, modern lottery systems, responsible gaming standards and continued public confidence in authorised products.
