Fecoljuegos: Instability threatens Colombia's iGaming viability
The iGaming industry in Colombia faces structural risks that could compromise its stability and its ability to finance the national health system. In an opinion column in the local newspaper La República, Evert Montero Cárdenas, president of the Colombian Federation of Gambling Businessmen (Fecoljuegos), pointed out that regulatory decisions are often based on political perceptions and incomplete figures instead of solid technical and financial criteria. This lack of technical rigor in public debate represents, according to the executive, one of the greatest dangers for a highly supervised sector that complies with strict auditing and anti-money laundering standards.
One of the critical points highlighted by Montero Cárdenas is the recurring confusion between the total volume of bets and the operators' real income. The guild representative explained that approximately 95% of bets are returned to players in the form of prizes. The remaining operating margin must cover technological costs, licensing, personnel, taxes, and mandatory transfers to healthcare. This financial structure leaves little room for extraordinary profits, so any tax or regulatory adjustment designed without in-depth analysis can break the delicate mathematical balance that sustains the sustainability of the formal business.
Tax instability and administrative delays in regulating new products also appear as barriers that inhibit investment and reduce the competitiveness of the Colombian market compared to other jurisdictions. Montero Cárdenas warned that every unnecessary obstacle for the formal sector translates into a competitive advantage for the illegal market, which does not pay taxes or apply responsible gambling policies. The sector does not ask for privileges, but rather for decisions based on evidence and proportionality that allow the industry to continue fulfilling its economic and social function without ceding ground to informality.
Structural risks identified by Fecoljuegos
- Tax Instability: Frequent changes in the rules of the game that affect long-term financial planning.
- Distortion of Figures: Use of erroneous indicators, such as equating the amount wagered with the operator's real profit.
- Advance of Illegality: Over-regulation of the formal sector allows the clandestine market to occupy spaces with greater agility.
- Lack of Technical Rigor: Decision-making based on circumstantial or political logic rather than the reality of the economic model.
Tags: Colombia, Fecoljuegos, Evert Montero, Colombia betting