Gaming industry is a huge contributor to Colombia’s GDP

Colombia’s Minister of Finance revealed that during 2019 gaming revenues represented 0.2% of the national GDP.

Colombia.- The Minister of Finance in Colombia, Alberto Carrasquilla, revealed the huge contributions gaming brings to the country, representing 0.2% of it’s national GDP. During the LAFT America 2020 conference, experts took a look at the industry before and during the pandemic.

According to the Minister, the industry generated more than US$170 million in 2019, which was then invested into areas of health and the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. He also highlighted how the industry has created over 111 million jobs.

But Carrasquilla warned that “games of chance are one of the industries that have been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic”. He added “in the context of the pandemic, a legislative decree was implemented under emergency 808, which focuses on alleviating the pressure placed on gaming operators,”

Carrasquilla disclosed also that “the government ordered an ease on the fixed tariff that gaming operators must pay, which was carried out for six months in attempt to reduce the number of machines in operation.”

Meanwhile, Colombia finally enabled the opening of casinos across the country, as long as operators obtain approval from the authorities and follow the corresponding sanitary protocols.