Colombian licensed offline casinos and bingo operators set a new donation record to the country's healthcare system in 2025, reaching 378.3 billion Colombian pesos (approximately 104.8 million US dollars). This figure represents a 9.3% increase from 2024, accounting for 39% of the total gaming industry revenue, becoming a significant financial support for the healthcare sector. The Colombian gaming regulatory authority, Coljuegos, stated that the increase in donations was due to the crackdown on illegal gambling, which, after boosting the revenue of licensed operators, further increased investments in universal healthcare. Meanwhile, the country's online gambling tax system has been adjusted, with the VAT base shifting from deposits to total gaming revenue (GGR), receiving widespread recognition in the industry. Relevant Colombian gaming industry compliance and public contribution cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Offline Gambling: Record Donations to Healthcare, Becoming a Core Public Benefit Force
The public contributions of the offline gambling industry continue to stand out, with impressive data:
Steady growth in donation scale: In 2025, donations increased by nearly 33 billion pesos from 345.875 billion pesos in 2024, a 9.3% year-on-year increase, confirming the industry's healthy development trend;
Significant industry proportion: This funding accounts for 39% of the national gambling industry's total revenue, making it the largest source of gambling-related funds for the healthcare system;
Positive regulatory feedback: Marco Emilio Hincapie, chairman of Coljuegos, stated, "This shows that the industry is in an excellent development phase under the current management," and the growth in donations directly reflects the industry's value.
Crackdown on Illegal Gambling: 3047 Devices Seized, Setting an Enforcement Record
The effective containment of illegal gambling has cleared obstacles for the development of the licensed industry:
Solid legal market foundation: Colombia currently has 109,000 legal slot machines, distributed across more than 3700 authorized venues, forming a standardized operating network;
Unprecedented enforcement intensity: In 2025, Coljuegos conducted 95 enforcement actions in 15 provinces, seizing 3047 illegal gambling devices, reaching an "unprecedented" level of regulatory intensity;
Link between crackdown and contributions: Hincapie emphasized, "Without the continuous heavy crackdown on illegal gambling, there would be no increase in medical donations," and he looks forward to the "Peace Machine Project" promoting local gambling to continue aiding medical care for disadvantaged groups.
Online Tax System: VAT Taxation Adjustment Widely Recognized by the Industry
The optimization of the tax system in the online gambling sector injects new momentum into the industry:
Core tax system change: At the beginning of January, it was officially confirmed that online licensed operators are still required to pay a 19% VAT, but the tax base has shifted from "deposits" to "total gambling revenue (GGR)";
Positive industry feedback: The Colombian Gaming Entrepreneurs Association called this an "important progress," previously warning that basing the tax on deposits led to a 30% decrease in online gambling GGR;
Long-term impact: The adjustment will reduce the actual tax burden on online operators, preventing compliant businesses from falling into operational difficulties due to unreasonable tax systems, and forming a dual engine of industry development together with the public contributions of offline gambling.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders" gambling news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
