Colombia: Illegal Gambling Cost Santander's Health US$8M in 2025
Public health in Santander once again became the focus of debate regarding the economic effects of illegal gambling in Colombia. The manager of the Lotería de Santander, Herwing Peña Ordóñez, confirmed that during 2025, the department failed to receive more than COP30 billion, equivalent to about US$8 million, which should have been allocated to the regional health system. The figure reflects the direct cost of illegal "chance" sales, clandestine raffles, and the circulation of counterfeit lottery tickets.
The leader was emphatic in describing the problem. He explained that all profits from games of chance are destined for the health of Santander residents and that every illegal operation means resources that the department simply never receives. The paradox is evident: while hospitals demand investment, an increasingly large portion of gambling consumption occurs outside the regulated circuit.
An expanding parallel market
According to Lotería estimates, the illegal betting business moves close to COP45 billion annually in Santander. Illegal "chance" is believed to be the most widespread item, with a share close to 50 percent of the total market, while the sale of counterfeit lottery tickets accounts for between 12 and 13 percent of the clandestine activity detected in the department. The trend, the entity itself warns, continues to grow year after year.
The link with organized crime
Peña Ordóñez went beyond the fiscal impact and raised concerns about the real destination of that money. A significant portion of the profits from illegal gambling, he argued, ends up fueling groups linked to illegal mining, drug trafficking, and extortion. This narrative aligns with the interpretation made by other departmental entities in Colombia, which see unregulated gambling as an effective vehicle for money laundering and the financing of criminal economies.
To respond to the advance of the parallel market, the Government of Santander convened a working group with the National Police, the Army, the Attorney General's Office, the Inspector General's Office, the Mayor's Office of Bucaramanga, legal operators such as Apuestas La Perla, and the Lotería de Santander itself. The objective is to draw up a common roadmap to control street sales, reinforce operations, and recover part of the resources that should support the health system.
The Santander case serves as a snapshot of the challenge faced by official lotteries in much of Latin America. From Bogotá to Lima, passing through Buenos Aires and Santo Domingo, regulators are trying to contain an illegal market that grows at the pace of digitalization and a low perception of risk, in a scenario where every peso diverted to the clandestine circuit translates into fewer beds, less medical personnel, and fewer medicines for the most vulnerable population.
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