Colombian lottery probed amid jackpot suspicions
An on-site inspection will be carried out following the resignation of the Medellín Lottery’s deputy manager.
Colombia.- The Medellín Lottery is at the center of an investigation into concerns about suspected jackpot rigging. The national advisory body, the Colombian National Council for Games of Luck and Chance (CNJSA), and the gambling regulator Coljuegos are undertaking the probe.
The investigation of the lottery, which is administered by the state of Antioquia, is related to a COP 16bn (€3.4m) jackpot won by one Luisa Jaramillo in May. Jaramillo is the wife of the lottery’s then deputy manager Rubén Callejas.
Suspicions were raised due to the speed at which she was announced as the winner immediately following the televised draw. Callejas resigned soon after media reports raised concerns about the potential for a conflict of interest. He has not issued a public response to the incident. Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, commented on the matter on Twitter, writing: “Is this true? Disciplinary and penal bodies should give us information.”
Coljuegos president Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez has now granted permission to a CNJSA delegation to carry out an on-site inspection of the Medellín Lottery’s facilities. The inspection is being led by technical secretary Roberto Conde Romero
CNJSA said in a statement that “Officials will travel to the city of Medellín to provide clarity to citizens about the conditions under which the draw was carried out.”
The investigation follows controversies around lotteries elsewhere. In the US, Ryan Mindell stepped down as executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) amid allegations of AML failings and a class action lawsuit linked to a controversial 2023 jackpot
Last year, the Houston Chronicle broke the news that a group of investors called Rook TX allegedly spent $25.8m to acquire all possible $1 ticket combinations to secure a $95m jackpot. The group is suspected of using official printing terminals operating continuously to generate the required tickets.
Meanwhile, the sustainability of the Colombian gambling sector has come into question amid the Ministry of Finance’s decision to raise the tax on online gross gaming revenue to 19 per cent, replacing the tiered rate of 15 to 17 per cent on GGR. This is expected to remain in a new budget proposal expected in late July. Codere Online has said it is putting expansion in Colombia on hold as a result.
