Legislation
Colombia – Coljuegos pushing forward with public policy on responsible gambling
By James - 26 February 2024
In order to promote informed decision-making among players in the country, Coljuegos is advancing in structuring a public policy on responsible gambling, the first of its kind in Latin America.
According to the president of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié, the objective is to foster a culture of responsible betting and raise awareness among players about the risks associated with problem gambling.
“From the entity, we have led different working groups with operators to define guidelines that allow us, on the one hand, to raise awareness about the possible negative effects of compulsive gambling, and, on the other hand, to implement measures such as betting limits, warning messages, and self-exclusion tools,” he said.
He added: “Fortunately, we have found full willingness on the part of the operators. The common purpose is to protect consumers, especially those who are most vulnerable, such as young people and people with gambling addiction problems.”
The announcement was made during the commemoration of World Responsible Gambling Day, an event that featured the participation of Mariela Huenchumilla Fritz, founding member of the International Alliance for Responsible Gambling and Corporate Manager of Responsible Gambling for the Sun Dreams Latam casinos, based in Chile.
Likewise, Evert Montero Cárdenas, president of the Colombian Federation of Entrepreneurs of Games of Chance and Luck (Fecoljuegos); Juan Carlos Restrepo, president of Asojuegos; and Elizabeth Maya Cano, president of the National Corporation of Entrepreneurs of Games of Chance and Luck (Cornazar) participated in the meeting.
It is expected that during 2024, Coljuegos and the guilds will finish drafting the document, which will include guidelines with a public health approach, aimed at emphasizing prevention, education, and treatment for those who may experience negative consequences for physical and mental health due to gambling.
Once completed, the document will be submitted for discussion Congress for respective feedback, approval, and adoption.
