Colombia enters the top 30 countries with the most online gambling in the world
Colombia ranks 22nd globally in online gambling participation, with a 13.8 percent share among internet users aged 16 and older, according to the GWI survey published by DataReportal in its Digital 2026 Global Overview Report. South Africa tops the table with 32.3 percent, followed by Norway with 31.2 percent and Greece with 25.8 percent, meaning the leader more than doubles Colombia’s rate. Brazil and Chile are the only other two South American countries among the top thirty.
It is worth reading this figure with the clarification included in the study itself, as it alters its interpretation. The measurement corresponds to the second quarter of 2025 and is based on internet users aged 16 and older rather than the total population of each country; therefore, 13.8 percent does not equal 13.8 percent of all Colombians. In a country with high internet penetration, the gap between the two bases narrows, but it still exists, and the ranking compares connected populations of differing relative sizes.
The broader global framework surrounding these figures reflects a fundamental shift. According to the UK Gambling Commission and US state regulatory bodies, the global online gambling market generates between USD 105 billion and USD 121 billion, representing between 39 and 42 percent of total worldwide gambling spend. From these two proportions, the overall market size can be deduced: global gambling expenditure stands at approximately USD 250 billion to USD 310 billion, with the digital channel approaching nearly half of the total. The historical gap with land-based casinos, gaming venues, and retail lotteries is closing.
Colombia's figures illustrate this trend even more clearly than average. Coljuegos reported that through August 2026, the gambling and gaming sector collected COP 977.2 billion, up 39.38 percent compared to the same period the previous year. Of that total, COP 473.023 billion came from online sports betting, which posted an 84.24 percent surge in the first eight months during a year highlighted by the 2026 World Cup.
Taken together, these two figures reveal a calculation not highlighted in the press release. If the total grew by 39.38 percent, the previous year's total stood at approximately COP 701.1 billion, meaning the sector added around COP 276.1 billion. Online sports betting alone, which previously stood at around COP 256.7 billion, accounted for some COP 216.3 billion of that increase. The digital channel thus accounts for roughly 78 percent of the sector's total growth and now represents 48.4 percent of total revenue collections. The rest of the market, by deduction, grew by around 13.5 percent—a solid performance completely overshadowed by the 39 percent headline.
The other facet of the Colombian data is where this money goes, and here the online channel carries a weight that does not yet match its scale. Since 2022, Coljuegos has transferred COP 7.2 trillion to the subsidized healthcare system, with some COP 1.76 trillion coming directly from online gaming—24.4 percent of the total—in addition to nearly COP 1.3 trillion in VAT allocated to peace initiatives in conflict-affected regions. Combining both figures, the online vertical has channeled approximately COP 3.06 trillion toward social causes over four years.
Coljuegos is the Colombian state authority responsible for regulating, licensing, and overseeing games of chance and gambling, including online betting, with its revenues earmarked by law for the healthcare system. Colombia was the first country in Latin America to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for online gambling, issuing licenses since 2017, which explains why its digital market boasts a level of maturity and tracking that most jurisdictions in the region have yet to achieve.
Tags: Colombia, Coljuegos, online gaming, GWI, Licenses