Colombian gambling regulator orders new responsible gambling practices

Gambling operators in Colombia will need to implement close player monitoring.

Colombia.- The national gambling regulator, Coljuegos, has introduced a new resolution intended to reduce harmful gambling. Resolution 22654 will require operators to step up player monitoring to better detect compulsive gambling.

The resolution also intends to ensure that gamblers have access to tools to help them identify risky behaviour and to advise on maintaining control during gambling. Operators will be asked to conduct campaigns to raise awareness and ensure that self-exclusion is available.

Operators will need to submit action plans to Coljuegos, which the regulator will review. The regulator will also audit compliance indicators and results.

Coljuegos’ president, Marco Emilio Hincapié, said: “We are asking operators to implement campaigns to inform bettors about the risks associated with compulsive gambling. In the cases of innovative games offered online, including Baloto, SuperAstro, we are asking operators to make self-exclusion available so users can be voluntarily blocked when they present risky behaviour.”

Coljuegos still aims to regulate keno in the country. Hincapié said in June that Coljuegos was in the process of preparing pre-contractual documents ahead of a public tender. Last month, Coljuegos granted an online gambling licence to Kaizen Gaming’s Betano, which became the 17th licenced online gambling operator in the country.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Ecuador has lifted its ban on gambling advertising. President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador ordered the removal of articles in the previous government’s Executive Order 421, which was issued last year.