Coljuegos locks the border with the single importers registry
Starting in 2026, no one will be able to bring a machine into the country without being registered in the new RIC. The measure, coordinated with the DIAN, aims to prevent hardware from ending up fueling illegal gambling networks.
Colombia has decided to cut off illegality at its root. Understanding that clandestine gambling dens need hardware to operate, Coljuegos has implemented a historic measure for border control: the creation of the Unique Registry of Importers and Marketers (RIC).
Through resolution 8594 of 2025, the regulator established that, starting this year, any electronic slot machine (MET) that wants to set foot on Colombian soil must have prior registration. The goal is simple but ambitious: to have absolute traceability of each device, from when it is unloaded from the container until it is plugged in at a venue.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, president of the entity, was emphatic about it. For the official, this regulation was an outstanding debt of the sector. The aim is to block criminal structures that import technology under gray areas and then exploit it without paying exploitation rights, draining vital resources for public health.
The weight of the "Localized" sector
The measure arrives at a moment of consolidation. During 2025, localized games (casinos and physical bingo halls) reaffirmed their status as the financial engine of the system, contributing COP 378.268 billion (about USD 103.8 million) in transfers to health. This represents 39% of all gambling revenue in Colombia.
With an active fleet of 109,000 legal machines in more than 3,700 establishments, the volume of technological turnover is immense. In 2024 alone, slot imports exceeded USD 22.5 million, a figure that justifies the urgency to tighten customs oversight.
Deadlines and alliance with DIAN
The implementation of the RIC already has the clock running. From the publication of the regulation at the end of January, importers and marketers have a period of 45 calendar days to register through the Coljuegos website.
But control does not end at the port. The regulation requires that, 10 days after nationalizing the merchandise, the importer must report the final destination of each machine. This data cross-check will be done in real time with the National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN), ensuring that every slot machine entering the country has an identified owner and an authorized place of operation.
Tags: Colombia, Coljuegos, Colombia slots regulation, Colombia slots registration