Español
Русский
Latviešu
Español de México
Українська
Deutsch
Português
Gambling in USA 
Casino by countries
Colombia has become a benchmark country for all of Latin America, when it comes to the gaming industry. The entire market is regulated, both physical casinos and online operators. This has allowed an important growth of the sector in the last years.
There are 344 authorized gaming operators in the country, which are distributed in more than 2,800 gaming establishments . In these casinos there are a number close to 87 thousand slot machines, something that shows the strength of the gambling industry in Colombia.
Currently you can find 15 physical casinos in the most important cities, as well as many betting centers and bingo halls in smaller locations. At ChoiceCasino, you have the main casinos in Colombia, to play legally and safely.
With regard to online casino in Colombia, 17 authorized operators appear active , in the midst of the boom experienced by internet games. It has titles from the main software providers in the world, such as Microgaming, Playtech, Big Time Gaming or NetEnt.
Crown Casinos San Rafael Cons: That your casino made transactions wit my debit card with out my knowledge!
Casino Caribe Medellin Cons: They are very elitist.
Casino Broadway Apartado Cons: He has them all
Coljuegos supervises the sector
In Colombia, the institution that has the mission of administering games of chance is Coljuegos, an entity linked to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, in charge of issuing regulations, supervising contracts, advancing sanctioning processes, as well as all aspects related to the activity. of sports betting and gaming operators.
Law 643 of 2001 divides state-administered gambling into several lines. It has to:
- Localized Games (Casinos or Bingos)
- The Novel Games (Lotteries or online casinos)
- Bets (sporting events or similar)
- Promotional Games and National Raffles.
Casinos and online games in Colombia
Currently in Colombia 17 online operators are authorized by Coljuegos: Wplay, Betplay, Colbet, Zamba, Codere, Luckia, Sportium, Rushbet, Aquijuego, Williamhill, Rivalo, Mozzartbet, Megapuesta, yajuego, Fullreto, Bwin and Betfair, all with national domains .co. However, the figure is expected to continue increasing in the coming months due to the growth that the sector is experiencing.
Players can enjoy different types of slot machines, including progressive jackpot slots, as well as poker, blackjack, baccarat, bingo or roulette. Titles such as 7th Sense, Amun Ra, Bubble Rama, Caverman, Better Sound, Premium blackjack, Roulette Premium series, Joker Poker, Texas Hold'em Poker stand out.
In total, there are more than 20 software developers in the country and we can highlight some of the most important such as Big Time Gaming, Playtech, or Evolution Gaming.
Since 2017, when the regulation of online gambling was carried out, Coljuegos has authorized 1,408 online games and until 2020, there are already 5 million accounts registered, of which more than 3 million are still active.
In addition, between 2019 and 2020, according to data from the regulator, 4,269 dangerous websites were blocked, something that shows the work in favor of guaranteeing security in internet gambling.
Live casinos with live dealers
Of the 17 operators approved by Coljuegos, three have the authorization to offer live casino with a live dealer, so you can enjoy a different immersive experience. The Zamba, Luckia and Codere casinos are the operators that currently have live casino games in Colombia.
Operators have games from the most prestigious developers in the world, such as Evolution Gaming and NetEnt. Popular Blackjack, roulette, Baccarat or poker games are active, such as Colombia Blackjack, All Bets Blackjack, Roulette Live or Dragon Tiger.
Bitcoin casinos in Colombia
Casinos in Colombia offer the main means of payment, both credit and debit cards, bank transfer, as well as various electronic wallets. But in relation to cryptocurrencies, there is no casino authorized by Coljuegos that accepts Bitcoin.
There is no legal operator that accepts Bitcoin, because cryptocurrencies do not have a regulatory framework in the country. There is a legal vacuum, so they are not prohibited, but no digital currency has a law that protects them.
You could get a casino that accepts Bitcoin, but it would not have any regulation by the Colombian State. ChoiceCasino does not assume responsibility for playing in casinos with cryptocurrencies from Colombia.
Land-based casinos and slot halls in Colombia
In Colombia, 344 authorized gaming operators are active, distributed in more than 2,800 establishments. There are more than 86 thousand slot machines in large casinos with bars and restaurants, as well as small gambling establishments.
Of the total number of authorized operators, about 70% correspond to small and medium-sized companies, although there are also large casinos in the main cities. All establishments are legalized and regulated by the Colombian State through Coljuegos.
The facilities have slot machines, poker rooms, as well as baccarat, roulette, blackjack or sports betting tables. The games are from very important developers, such as MGA, NetEnt and Playtech.
When talking about casinos, some of the most popular ones can be highlighted, such as Casino Arena, Casino Luckia Bogotá, Casino Broadway Andino or the Gran Casino Medellín, just to give a few examples.
What games of chance do Colombians prefer?
Lotteries and raffles are very popular in Colombia. There are currently 15 regionally operated lotteries and 38 dealerships for Chance, another famous game. Also noteworthy are Baloto or Súper Astro, who are very followed by Colombian gamblers.
In addition, sports betting cannot go under the table, both in physical establishments or online. Colombians are passionate about sports, especially soccer, so it is a growing industry, as there are big bets in the local tournament and in international leagues, such as the Champions League.
Colombians also play slots, French or American roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker or the bingo that has a strong presence in this country. Among the featured games appears Age Of The Gods, Anaconda Wild, or Legacy Wild.
Contribution of gambling to the Colombian economy
Article 59 of Law 1955 of 2019 of the National Development Plan indicates that gambling operators will pay for the exploitation right, 12% of gross income. This amount is observed in all games of chance, from slot machines to lotteries.
All this income is destined to finance the country's health services, both the pension liability, benefits, as well as expenses for research in this area. It is a win-win between the State and private industry, because as this sector continues to grow, the more money will be raised and the entire health service in Colombia will benefit.
These contributions are managed by the Administrator of the Resources of the General System of Social Security in Health (ADRES). In addition, the important contribution of VAT to the coffers of the Colombian State should also be highlighted.
Data from Coljuegos show an example of the evolution observed in the contribution of the industry to the Colombian economy. In 2015, 379,994 million pesos were collected for exploitation rights, a figure that in 2019 rose to 667,774 million, which means an increase of 76%.
While between 2017 and September 2020, online games generated a figure of more than 167,000 million pesos in exploitation rights, while prize payments exceeded 10 billion pesos and sales were for 11.3 billion pesos .
Taxes paid by casino players in Colombia
In Colombia there is a collection by the State to gamblers, lotteries or raffles. This is the occasional income tax, an amount that must be withheld by the natural or legal persons in charge of making the prize payments.
A point to note is that the withholding on payments will be made when the value of the award exceeds 48 Units of Tax Value (UVT). In 2021, the amount of the UVT in Colombia is 36,308, so a withholding would be made when the prize is greater than 1,742,784 Colombian pesos.
There are no withholdings for the rest, so Colombian gamblers should not worry about tax returns.
Self-exclusion and prevention of pathological gambling
In Colombia, each gambling operator authorized by Coljuegos offers bettors the possibility of imposing limits on betting time or maximum amounts. In addition, voluntary self-exclusions or suspensions can be made.
Coljuegos also offers all kinds of help in the fight against problematic and illegal gambling. On the web they have the "Citizen Service" section with the hours to receive the public at their headquarters, as well as a telephone line.
Reports of illegal games and irregular actions of officials can be made on the Coljuegos website. Other organizations such as Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous from Colombia or the Colombian Federation of Games of Chance, develop different campaigns to promote safe and legal Gambling in Colombia.
Fight Illegal Gambling
The example that Colombia provides to the rest of the continent is demonstrated in the results that gambling regulation has had. Since 2012, when Coljuegos was created, more than 5.4 thousand illegal pages have been blocked, 70 high-traffic profiles, and more than 30 thousand elements of illegal games have been seized. With these actions, the user is given greater security every day.
History of legal gambling in Colombia
Colombia was one of the first countries in South America to have land-based casinos, as it is a region with a long tradition of gambling and lottery fondness dating from the time of independence.
In the final part of the 20th century, an increase in the presence of commercial establishments and casinos began throughout the country, which is why the fever of Colombians was growing, not only for lotteries, but for all games of chance. Beyond some legal controversies, the industry has been able to take important growth steps in Colombia.
It is worth noting that the 1991 Political Constitution of Colombia, in its article 336, grants the State the exploitation of the Gambling Rent Monopoly. It is indicated that the State has the possibility of deriving income for this activity, which must be used for a social purpose.
Then a legal framework was given to apply this principle with Law 643 of 2001, as well as different decrees, which have regulated the entire gambling sector. Currently, what the State collects in income through the right of exploitation, is destined to the public health of the country.
It cannot be overlooked that for many years, Colombia has been in the top 3 of Latin American countries, in relation to the number of betting establishments and population, although in general data they are lower than other countries such as Brazil, Mexico or Argentina.
Thanks to the order of the industry in Colombia, there has been an important consolidation of the sector, something that has increased in recent years, after the legalization of online gambling.
Characteristics of the gaming industry in Colombia
Colombia has had a legal framework since 2001 that regulates the entire gambling sector. In addition, this country is a pioneer in South America, because it was the first to regulate online gambling in 2017, something that has allowed the industry to grow significantly in recent years.
It is an industry that has 344 authorized gaming operators, found in more than 2,800 establishments. Gambling generates more than 100,000 jobs in Colombia, so there is no doubt of its importance for the economy.
The Colombian state institute in charge of supervising the aspects related to gambling is Coljuegos and all that is collected in taxes goes to the country's health sector. Only in the first three quarters of 2020, 31% of the proceeds from exploitation rights, was from casinos and bingo halls.
The face-to-face and online gaming software is licensed by Coljuegos, so it complies with regulations. In addition, only those over 18 can bet online in the 17 authorized companies.
The main legal casinos in Colombia, both physical and online, are found at ChoiceCasino. We recommend you leave your own experience on some of these operators, so that other users take advantage of the advice to choose the best casino.
It is not the responsibility of ChoiceCasino, the service that the physical and online legal casinos named on the web can provide, or any user review. In the event of any inconvenience, complaint or complaint, they should go directly to the Industrial and Commercial Company of the State Administrator of the Rent Monopoly of Luck and Chance Games (Coljuegos). They can be contacted through telephones or emails, which can be found on their website coljuegos.gov.co.