Colombia’s gambling regulator Coljuegos collected COP977.22bn ($299.3m) for the country’s subsidized healthcare system between January and August 2026, representing a 39.38% year-on-year increase.
Collections were COP276.10bn higher than the COP701.12bn recorded during the corresponding eight months of 2025. The increase was primarily attributed to online sports betting activity surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with collections from the segment rising 84.24% to COP473.02bn.
The result extends growth already recorded earlier in the year. In May, Coljuegos reported that online betting operators had contributed COP253.22bn during 2026 and projected that full-year contributions from the channel would exceed COP450bn. At that stage, 15 online operators were authorized by the regulator.
Localized games also contributed to the latest increase, generating COP280.87bn between January and August. This represented a 12.25% year-on-year rise from COP250.22bn.
Other nationally regulated products recorded higher monopoly revenues during the period. SuperAstro increased 4.88%, while Baloto rose 13.17%. Baloto Revancha and Miloto recorded increases of 36.37% and 28.98% respectively.
The figures also include the introduction of Keno, which began operating nationally in April. The game is offered by four operators across more than 26,000 sales terminals in Colombia’s 32 departments. Coljuegos previously projected that Keno could contribute approximately COP500bn to subsidized healthcare over its first five years.
The higher collections come alongside an expansion of Coljuegos’ enforcement activity against unlicensed gambling. In August, the regulator reported that 12,852 illegal gambling devices had been seized across 24 departments through 514 enforcement operations. It had also issued 58,916 blocking orders against websites operating or promoting unauthorized gambling.
Jaime Vives Pinedo was named President of Coljuegos in August, taking responsibility for gambling oversight and the management of industry-generated healthcare funding. His appointment followed Coljuegos reporting COP7.2trn in healthcare transfers during President Gustavo Petro’s four-year administration.
Coljuegos modified its regulatory framework for internet-operated gambling in May 2026 through an amendment to its rules governing nationally regulated novel games
