Operator News
Colombia – Colombian associations slam Coljuegos for ‘remarkable growth’ claim
By Phil - 5 May 2021
Colombian gaming’s three associations; Asojuegos, Cornazar and Fecoljuegos have have slammed that country’s regulator Coljuegos for claiming there has been ‘remarkable growth of 84 per cent in the sector of games of luck and chance’ without making a distinction of which sectors have boomed.
Casino, bingo and slot halls have been greatly affected by the global pandemic.
The associations said: “It is inappropriate to present a generalised increase in sales and exploitation rights, when the reactivation impulse has been given by the novel games, which are also part of the national games. These types of statements that do not disaggregate the information by type of game, demonstrate the lack of effective measures to seek the sustainability of the localized games operation.
“Business revenue in the first quarter of 2021 is well below the average of 2019, when activity was stable,” they added. “Before the health emergency, the localised games, casinos and bingo segment had the largest share. in the national gambling market of luck and chance. In 2019 this type of gambling represented 60 per cent of the collection for exploitation rights destined for health transfers, a percentage that contracted to 30% “, exemplified the three guilds and they added to the panorama the scourge and unfair competition represented by illegal operators.
“We make a call for the entity to lead and promote the activity before the national government and the territorial entities. In addition, that in the exercise of its functions it adopt general and individual measures that make the operation viable under this new normal and not on the contrary make them more burdensome in the midst of this situation, starting from the reality of each type of game and not with distracting arguments of reactivation. The behavior of the virus will be volatile during 2021 and even 2022 until it is achieved the total immunization of Colombians, for which it will be necessary to urgently define and implement transitory actions that adjust to the reality of the sector, accompanied by a timely response in the procedures.”
