Colombian regulator calls online operators to verify user complaints, working on roadmap against illegal gambling

Colombian gaming regulator Coljuegos has called upon online betting operators to follow up on user complaints. A total of 15 internet gaming operators participated in a working group convened by the authority to verify the complaints made by users and define a roadmap that allows them to jointly fight against illegal brands.

According to the President of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié, the entity is carrying out detailed monitoring of the requests made by bettors, related to failures in the platforms and problems with the payment of prizes.

“We are working with authorized portals to improve the performance of their platforms and to coordinate with the software houses of legal operators so that they do not sell web development to illegal brands,” Hincapié said.

Hincapié also indicated that, in the coming days, a technical table will be held with the company KIGGU to review what measures can be implemented to block the websites associated with the 1Win brand, which according to the regulator operates illegally in the country.

“We also agreed to create an inter-institutional table with other entities such as the DIAN, Prosecutor’s Office, MinTic, and Financial Superintendency, among others, to strengthen actions against portals that operate illegally,” he said.

“The monitoring tables with the operators will continue to be held periodically to guarantee the correct functioning of the portals and defend the rights of bettors," Hincapié added.

In other news, Coljuegos recently announced that it has destroyed a total of 1,491 illegal gambling devices seized since 2021, with a value estimated at close to $200 million. The destruction, part of Coljuegos' ongoing efforts to combat illegal gambling, took place in Yumbo, Valle del Cauca.

According to Hincapié, the destroyed items were used in illegal gambling activities across the Valley and in municipalities of the Coffee Region such as Armenia, Dosquebradas, and Manizales.