Javier Arias fined $35,200 as Colombian raffle case reaches prosecutors

Colombian gambling regulator Coljuegos has fined social-media creator Javier Arias Castañeda COP116m ($35,200) after finding that he operated and marketed a raffle to the public through Instagram without the required authorization. 

It also filed a complaint with the Fiscalía General de la Nación alleging unauthorized operation of games of chance under Article 312 of Colombia's Penal Code. A criminal charge or finding by prosecutors has not been announced.

The administrative resolution imposes a five-year prohibition on Arias operating games of chance. That period starts when Resolution 20260004964 of 2026 becomes final, rather than on the date Coljuegos published its announcement. Interest may also accrue on the fine under the applicable rules.

Coljuegos said its inquiry established that Arias had no current authorization for the Instagram raffle. The regulator said the administrative process included an investigation, a formal statement of allegations, defense submissions and closing arguments before it imposed the sanction.

The authority also said separate proceedings concerning Arias's social-media raffles remain under way. Its assertion that he has continued offering unauthorized draws concerns those continuing matters, rather than the raffle addressed by the announced resolution.

The ruling follows earlier scrutiny of the creator's raffle activity. In November 2024, Coljuegos identified Javier Arias Stunt among influencers and companies under investigation for social-media draws and said it had opened preliminary inquiries involving ACJ Digital Revolution and Javier Arias Stunt SAS.

Raffles are regulated under Colombia's state gambling monopoly. Operators need the relevant approval for a particular draw, while exploitation rights from authorized gambling contribute to public healthcare funding. Promoting a raffle through a social platform does not remove the authorization requirement.

In an August enforcement update, Coljuegos reported 209 sanctions for illegal gambling with a combined value above COP94.7bn. Its digital action included blocking orders concerning 437 social-media profiles promoting unauthorized betting sites. Those figures cover the regulator's wider work, not additional cases against Arias.

Coljuegos President Jaime Vives Pinedo linked the Arias sanction to the authority's effort to protect gambling revenue and warn players about possible scams. The release did not detail the underlying raffle's prizes or any response from prosecutors.

In August, a separate Coljuegos penalty against influencer Yeferson Cossio involved an unauthorized Instagram promotion and a five-year operating restriction that begins once the administrative decision is final.