Colombia's territorial gambling sector transferred COP2.56tn ($799.4m) to the country's subsidized healthcare system between 2022 and 2026, according to figures presented by gambling regulator Coljuegos during the General Assembly of the Colombian Lottery Federation (Fedelco).
The latest figures cover contributions from Colombia's 15 territorial lotteries alongside permanent betting, known locally as chance games, which operate under the country's state-controlled gambling monopoly.
Under Colombian law, proceeds from several regulated gambling products are earmarked for public healthcare, making the sector a significant source of funding for regional health services.
Coljuegos said territorial lotteries transferred more than COP1.05tn ($256m), while chance games contributed COP1.33tn during the four-year period. Lottery sales reached COP2.9tn and chance sales exceeded COP10.6tn.
The regulator attributed the performance partly to measures designed to strengthen the regulated market. During the period, Coljuegos signed more than 40 cooperation agreements with lottery and chance concessionaires aimed at tackling illegal gambling operations across Colombia's 32 departments.
Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié said: "With complete satisfaction and certainty, we can say that the Government of Change... delivered on its promises to the health sector and the gambling industry."
Hincapié added: "We have signed more than 40 agreements for legality with lottery and chance game concessionaires to combat the mafias that operate games without authorization."
The update comes as Colombia continues to revise its gambling framework. Recent regulatory initiatives have included new responsible gambling standards for territorial games, updated technical rules for the Baloto online lottery concession ahead of its next licensing cycle and consultations on further regulatory changes affecting the sector.
Coljuegos also said it is preparing additional reforms to modernize the lottery market. Proposed measures include introducing random number generation (RNG) technology, permitting digital broadcasts of lottery draws and establishing mechanisms intended to protect lottery operators facing liquidity pressures.
The modernization agenda forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen oversight of Colombia's regulated gambling market while increasing transfers to healthcare.
Earlier this year, Coljuegos reported that gambling transfers to the health sector had exceeded COP4tn since 2022 across all regulated gambling verticals, reflecting the growing contribution of gambling tax revenues to public services.
Earlier this month, Colombia's Comptroller General awarded Coljuegos an unqualified audit opinion for its 2025 accounts after praising the regulator's financial management and transparency.
The audit also highlighted enforcement measures including the blocking of more than 55,000 illegal betting websites and the use of AI tools to monitor the online gambling market.
Colombia's gambling monopoly requires revenue from designated gambling products to be directed towards financing the country's public healthcare system
