COLOMBIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Juan Camilo Carrasco, Asensi Abogados
4.7 Application Timing All legal persons willing to request a concession con- tract must provide an affidavit to the effect that the individuals and legal persons interested in executing a contract for the exploitation of games of chance are not affected by any of the disqualifications and incompatibilities established by Colombian contract and public law. Land-Based The application must be approved by Coljuegos, and must: • demonstrate the legal possession of the equipment and elements used for the operation of the games; • have obtained prior approval, in which it is stated that the location of the commercial premises is an area suitable for the development of commercial activities per land use plans; • comply with the minimum and/or maximum num- ber of gaming elements that can be operated by commercial premises; • ensure that the commercial activities or services located in the premises are compatible with the operation of games; and • comply with the commercial and other technical conditions that are considered necessary for the effective operation of each type of localised game. Once the administrative act of granting the authorisa- tion is signed, the concession contract will be execut- ed, which will be governed by the provisions of the Gambling Act, Law 80 of 1993, and Law 1150 of 2007 and its decrees. The operator must provide to Coljuegos – through a bank legally established in Colombia or an insurance company – a guarantee that covers the following risks: • compliance with the concession contract; • salaries and legal benefits; and • the payment of prizes. Online Online gaming regulation does not specify a limited number of licences, nor a specific period during which the licences are available.
Despite this, Coljuegos works to maintain an open, fair and predictable regulatory framework by streamlin- ing processes and fostering communication between regulators and the industry. 4.3 Types of Licences Recent or forthcoming changes to the licensing and regulatory framework include: • a complete modification of the AML regulation; • modification regarding reporting on the Inspection System to avoid XML files and upgrade the tech- nology. • the entry into force of Resolution 20250021304 of 23 September 2025, adding insurance policies as a new option to guarantee the deposit and prize payment to players. 4.4 Availability of Licences There is only one type of licence in Colombia, as the authorisation is granted through a concession con- tract. However, some games are awarded to operators after a public tender process that grants sole permis- For most games, there is no limit on the number of concession contracts or authorisations available. For Baloto, Super Astro and pari-mutuelbetting, there is only one licence available for each type of game, and the operator is chosen for five years by a public ten- der. For online gaming and land-based operations, The Gambling Act states that the minimum duration of concession contracts operated by third parties is three years, with a maximum of five years. The con- cession contracts are subject to two essential rules: • the duration period may not be less than three years, nor more than five; and • the selection of concessionaries and other issues related to public tenders shall be governed by Law 80 of 1993. In the case of horse race betting, following the specific rules, the concession will be for ten years. sion to operate such a game. 4.5 Duration of Licences there is no limitation on licences. 4.6 Application Requirements
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