Colombia regulates remote bingo

The Colombian regulator Coljuegos has published a resolution regulating remote bingo operations.

Colombia.- Faced with the current pandemic crisis, Coljuegos has taken steps to regulate remote bingo operations.

The national regulator has established the guidelines that will remain in place until the last day of 2021.

The rule allows bingo cards to sold via home delivery from authorised points of sale, but online sales are not authorised.

In order to do so, licensed operators must make the following information available: the way to verify if a respective card is authorised in a gaming session; the date and time the gaming session will take place; the plan for awarding prizes from the session; how to access transmission of the game session, clearly indicating where the player can access the transmission; instructions on how to interact in the game session; contact information for technical support; place and timeframe for the delivery of prizes.

Operators must broadcast game sessions live, allowing viewers to see physical, transparent baskets from which the balls are extracted; balls the moment they are drawn; the board on which the drawn balls are placed throughout the game; information screens showing the combined winners, the prize plan and the winning numbers.

The games must be led by a presenter who announces the balls as they are drawn, and must have a customer service manager present to resolve any doubts or problems.

The regulator said: “The operator must store information from transmitted sessions for the period stipulated in the rules on the preservation of documentation, counting from the time session is held, so that it is available to Coljuegos whenever it is requested.”

Remote bingo operators will pay a fee according to the number of seats authorised in the room and the type of gambling they operate.