Legislation

Coljuegos opens way for expansion of legalised slots in Colombia

In a move aimed at refining the legal framework surrounding games of chance, Coljuegos, Colombia’s gambling regulator has announced amendments to two resolutions over the sector. The new draft resolutions have been published for observations from March 25, 2025, until April 1, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Observations will be received via the email address [email protected].

In February 2024 Coljuegos issued a resolution to legalize illegal slot machines owned by small businesses. Speaking at the time Coljuegos president, Marco Emilio Hincapié, said that the strategy aims to promote legal betting and formalize around 100,000 slot machines operating in Colombia which do not currently meet legal requirements. In the resolution published in February slot machines are referred to by their Spanish acronym METs (máquinas electrónicas tragamonedas).

The ‘Mets for Peace’ program is inspired by President Gustavo Petro’s ‘Total Peace’ concept. New rules on illegal slots are aimed at reducing the flow of capital from criminal activities such as extortion and drug trafficking associated with illegal gambling.

Resolution 20164000006944 outlines the operational framework for electronic slot machines in various commercial venues that may not primarily focus on gambling. It emphasizes the broader scheme for regulating these machines within different business contexts. Meanwhile Resolution 20241200001824  specifically addresses the legal operation of unregistered machines that are operating without proper authorization from Coljuegos.

The amendments introduce specific minimum area requirements for locations based on the population of municipalities. For instance, establishments in areas with more than 50,001 residents must provide at least six square meters for up to four machines. This requirement decreases for smaller municipalities, with areas under 25,000 residents needing a minimum of three square meters for up to two machines.

Additionally, operators must submit a sworn declaration to demonstrate compliance with the minimum area requirements. This declaration must include the identification of the parties involved, the establishment’s address, the number of machines, and the size of the area.

The updated regulations also allow operators to request permission to register up to 10% of their establishments for transferring previously authorized machines or for installing new units. Initially, a minimum of 40 machines may be authorized, and by the end of the first four months of the contract, at least 80 machines must be registered.

The amendments establish a four-month timeframe for signing grant contracts, providing businesses time to fulfil the necessary operational arrangements for compliance. The administrative authorization for operating these machines will become invalid if the authorized entity does not sign the necessary concession contract within the designated timeframe.

The amended regulations also clarify that certain provisions can be applied by third-party operators of METs, reinforcing the principle of good faith in all transactions related to these gaming machines. This includes a commitment by all parties to maintain honest and loyal conduct throughout the authorization process.

In addition, new rules establish specific prize limits for METs. Prizes generated from these machines can reach a maximum of 392 UVT (tax units) for standard games and 784 UVT for interconnected progressive games. Furthermore, the machines must guarantee players a theoretical return of 82.5%.

Operators are permitted to accept cash payments at establishments classified under specific industrial categories. However, in others, they must exclusively utilize cash for redeeming tickets and cannot dispense cash directly from the machines. In addition, operators must establish accessible points for prize payments in cases where the establishments lack sufficient funds for payouts.

The initiative has a national scope, and its main objective is for those who already operate these games to start doing so within a legal framework to provide safer gaming for users and reduce the loss of revenue to the state treasury through tax collection. The impact of illegal gambling is especially important in Colombia as revenue from gambling goes directly to the Colombian healthcare system.