Colombia steps up crackdown on illegal betting in Risaralda with regional roundtable
Coljuegos, Colombia’s gaming regulator, and the department of Risaralda, Colombia’s coffee-growing region, have intensified their joint efforts to clamp down on unauthorised betting during a regional roundtable held in Pereira, which gathered mayors, local leaders and enforcement bodies to reinforce regulatory compliance in the gaming.
Pereira meeting targets illegal betting in Risaralda
Unlicensed betting remains an issue in Risaralda. To address it, Coljuegos brought together the mayors of Risaralda in Pereira, along with the lottery operator Apostar Risaralda, the National Police, and the Attorney General’s Office.
Luis Alfredo Escobar, vice‑president of operations at Coljuegos, said the main objective was to strengthen institutional cooperation in the region: “Our objective is to reinforce collaboration between all entities in order to continue training and guiding the fight against illegality in the department of Risaralda.”
Escobar added that all authorities share the same goal. “All authorities are committed to protecting resources for health,” he stated, stressing the need to maintain coordinated work at the local level.
Full institutional articulation for legality
During the session, Coljuegos presented the legal framework for games of chance and gambling in Colombia and provided authorities with guidance on how offences in the sector are classified under criminal law, as part of a capacity-building exercise to strengthen the territorial response.
The session, according to Bibiana Garcés, manager of the Risaralda Lottery, gave mayors the opportunity to address questions about local authorities’ responsibilities. She further emphasised that, as coordinated decisions are necessary to protect public resources, the process requires sustained institutional effort.
“We also discussed everything we have been working on in Risaralda for the legality of games of chance and gambling,” Garcés said. “Likewise, we discussed the challenges ahead that we must take seriously to protect public funds earmarked for the subsidised health system for Colombians,” she added.
The Administrative Department of Risaralda noted that the working table was led by Governor Juan Diego Patiño Ochoa. The department stressed that the best way to ensure the resources generated by games of chance, part of which are allocated to subsidised health in Colombia, is through full articulation between the public and private sectors.
Risaralda consolidates its legality model, says Coljuegos
Escobar recognised Risaralda’s institutionalised approach to legality and underscored that strong institutional coordination strengthens the message sent to citizens. “I recognise how Risaralda institutionalises legality,” he affirmed. “Harmonious collaboration between institutions is key to reassuring citizens that there are officials actively overseeing the sector,” he added.
The vice‑president of Coljuegos also urged the public to consume only betting and gambling products approved by the State. “The conclusion is clear: we must consolidate ourselves as a national team and send a message to citizens to consume only State‑approved products; to buy raffles, chance-based games and legal lottery tickets in authorised outlets,” he said.
The Risaralda Lottery emphasised that the work cannot rest on a single institution. Manager Bibiana Garcés González stated that articulation with mayors, finance secretaries and the regulatory body is essential to sustain results.
“It is vital to continue reiterating this articulation; it is not just us, it is work in the region with mayors and finance secretaries, hand‑in‑hand with the regulatory body, which is Coljuegos,” she said. “Following the signing of the regional pact promoted by our governor, Juan Diego Patiño, the next step is municipal pacts,” she added.
Legality advances through education, not only prohibition
The session also gave municipalities space to voice their views, particularly on the social implications of the process. Ferney Castro Colorado, the mayor of the municipality of Guática, considered the session valuable but called for caution to avoid overlooking the reality faced by many families.
The local leader argued that the fight against gambling illegality must move forward with education and gradual change. “It is fundamental to unify the work to end illegality and improve revenue collection for health,” he said. “However, it must be a gradual, education-driven process; many families have survived and educated their children through these informal raffles,” he added.
Castro also insisted that each municipality faces particular conditions. “We must take into account the social reality of each municipality so as not to create discontent, turning this task into decent work through education,” he said.
Coljuegos ends roundtable with legality plan and next steps
The session closed with the panel “The role towards legality”, hosted by the Risaralda Lottery manager, the vice‑president of Coljuegos and the Pereira local Ombudsman, Leonardo Fabio Reales Chacón. The panel’s moderation was handled by Susan Andrea Porras, Coljuegos’ manager of operational oversight. In that role, she explained to municipalities the legal framework governing games of chance and gambling, reinforcing the meeting’s educational component.
The administrative department also reported that the Risaralda Lottery has, since the start of the current administration, developed a strategic legality plan in line with Law 643 of 2001. That commitment includes control and inspection activities with law enforcement, technical assistance to the 14 municipalities and educational campaigns for sales teams and trade associations. Finally, Coljuegos announced that it will continue holding territorial working tables in different regions of the country. To promote a culture in which legal gambling is paramount, the regulator is intensifying efforts to combat unlicensed gaming and expanding training for regulators, authorities, users, operators and suppliers.
This article was first published in Spanish on 27 April 2026.
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