Colombian regulator proposes slots reforms
Coljuegos plans to begin a project of reforms next year.
Colombia.- The Colombian gambling regulator Coljuegos has outlined plans to reform the rules for the ownership and operation of electronic slot machines next year. The regulator says it seeks to eradicate the prevalence of unauthorised machines.
The regulator said it aims to “replace illegal economies with legal ones, considering the productive capacities of intervened areas”. It estimates that there are around 50,000 unauthorised electronic slots in Colombia, generating a market worth around COP 945bn (€220m). That would represent around a third of the entire electronic slots market in Colombia.
The planned reforms will require all venues with ESMs to certify with Coljuegos before gaining authorisation. The regulator will later publish a schedule and requirements. Coljuegos said: “It is imperative that companies that wish to collaborate with Coljuegos comply with this condition to guarantee equity and trust in the selection procedures.”
There will be a limit of 80 machines per operator to begin with, and the number for each business will depend on venue size as well as the size of the local population. There will be prize limits and rules for identifying tech suppliers. A public comment period is open and will run until December 14.
In October, Coljuegos provided more details on its plans to regulate gambling advertising in Colombia. It has issued a resolution that would give it responsibility for overseeing all gambling advertising, marketing, sponsorships and “any other form of commercial communication”.
The resolution, which will come into force if a Coljuegos-sponsored bill is approved by Congress, outlines advertising content guidelines, caps on spending and penalties for non-compliance. The resolution would require operators to introduce mechanisms to detect customers showing signs of gambling harm in order to avoid sending communications to these players. It also proposes new payment rules, which would only allow deposits to be accepted using pre-paid credit cards.
