Colombian gambling regulator calls for sweeping new powers over gambling advertising

Coljuegos wants the authority to draft new rules and oversee gambling advertising standards.

Colombia. The Colombian gambling regulator, Coljuegos, is sponsoring a bill that would give it the authority to oversee standards for gambling advertising. The regulator would create rules for gambling advertising, sponsorship and all forms of marketing and would be responsible for monitoring ads and taking enforcement action.

The regulator said its rules would include a requirement for licensees to be clearly identifiable in all marketing content for their offerings. The company name and commercial image of the gaming operator must be clearly featured. It also wants to introduce an annual limit for each operator’s spending on gambling marketing. Operators would have to submit a marketing investment plan for authorisation and Coljuegos would monitor for deviation from the plan.

The limit on spending for new licensees would automatically be set by the regulator based on the market’s advertising. Operators that surpass their limits would be fined up to 100 per cent of their campaign spending.

The regulator has also recommended new rules for sports sponsorships, restricting them to professional teams recognised by a government-approved sports authority. All sponsorship deals would have to be submitted to the regulator for approval, and it would have the power to terminate deals with unlicensed operators.

Online advertising will have to include age-limit warnings and messages on responsible gambling. Users must also be able to block gambling advertisements. The bill comes after Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez took the helm as president of Coljuegos in June.