The new president of Coljuegos, Colombia’s gambling regulator, has close family ties to the inner circle of President Abelardo de la Espriella, sources have confirmed to staging-latam.next.io/.
Jaime Vives Pinedo, who took the reins of Coljuegos earlier this month, is the brother-in-law of Tatiana Gutiérrez, sister of Joaquín Gutiérrez, de la Espriella’s right-hand man and head of his presidential campaign.
Local sources told staging-latam.next.io/ that Vives’s relationship with the president’s friend influenced his appointment. It should be noted that the businessman from Santa Marta has no prior experience in the gambling sector and has never held a public office. He has held managerial positions at companies involved in the production and marketing of African palm products and oils, such as El Roble Agrícola and Bgreen.
For his part, Joaquín Gutiérrez took on one of the most important corporate positions in Colombia last month, after being appointed president of Ecopetrol, the state-controlled oil giant. Gutiérrez also has no prior experience in the hydrocarbons sector.
Vives will lead the entity responsible for regulating, authorizing, and overseeing the operation of the gambling sector in Colombia, as well as managing the revenues generated by the activity, which are allocated to funding public health.
According to Coljuegos’s salary scale, Vives will receive a monthly base salary of 300 million Colombian pesos (8,300 euros). He replaces Marco Emilio Hincapié, who led the organization for more than three years.
“It is an honor to take on this role leading an organization that contributes millions in resources every year for the health of Colombians,” Vives said in a statement.
“My mission is to forcefully fight the scourge of illegality in this industry and increase revenues for our country’s subsidized health system,” he added.
Between 2022 and 2026, the gambling sector contributed 7.2 trillion pesos (1,990 million euros) to Colombia’s health system, according to Coljuegos figures.
The fight against illegal gambling, the new Coljuegos head’s main challenge
Speaking to staging-latam.next.io/, Evert Montero Cárdenas, president of the industry association Fecoljuegos, expressed optimism about the direction of the regulatory authority under the new leadership.
“Vives’s more than 30-year track record in managerial positions at production and marketing companies, along with his training in administration and senior management, can bring a valuable business perspective to the organization,” Montero said.
Fecoljuegos also welcomed the fact that Vives identified strengthening the fight against illegal gambling and increasing resources allocated to health as immediate priorities.
Likewise, they hope that the businessman’s appointment will help improve dialogue between the government, the regulator, and operators.
One of the most urgent challenges for Vives will be curbing illegality.
Between 2022 and mid-2026, under the government of former president Gustavo Petro, Coljuegos blocked more than 45,000 illegal betting websites.
Hincapié, a longtime ally of Petro, stated in July that “never before had an administration fought illegal gambling so forcefully.”
In August, the regulator also fined a well-known Colombian influencer for promoting and offering betting services without authorization.
However, the president of Fecoljuegos stated that during the previous administration there was no “comprehensive and forceful strategy against illegality.”
“There were actions and website blocks, but we didn’t see a policy capable of effectively shutting down the economic, technological, and commercial spaces of illegal offerings,” he criticized.
Gambling under de la Espriella
Vives’s arrival at Coljuegos comes at a time when the sector is awaiting the new government’s decisions on gambling policy.
De la Espriella took office as president in August. He came to power after presenting himself as an outsider with no experience in public office, repeatedly stating that he had never lived off the state.
His victory is part of a broader rightward shift taking place across much of Latin America.
Although he has not issued a detailed stance on the game, de la Espriella used Polymarket as a tool to project popularity and consolidate political support during the election campaign. Coljuegos blocked Polymarket in September 2025.
When asked about the country’s new direction and its impact on the sector, Montero stressed: “We are confident that the new Government and the new leadership of Coljuegos can open a stage of greater stability, competitiveness, and joint construction.”
staging-latam.next.io/ contacted Coljuegos’ office to request comments and had not received a response at the time of publication.