Coljuegos, the gambling regulatory body in Colombia, has fined influencer Yeferson Cossio 116 million Colombian pesos (31,500 euros) for what it considers “illegal operation of games of chance in the promotional modality”.
According to the entity, Cossio, who has more than 12 million followers on Instagram, promoted and marketed a game aimed at the public through that social network, without having the corresponding authorization.
The penalty corresponds to 100 current monthly minimum legal wages for 2023, the year in which the minimum wage was set at 1.16 million pesos, so the fine was established at 116 million pesos.
The resolution also states that the content creator “may not operate games of chance for the five years following the enforcement of the administrative act”.
Coljuegos has reported that it has already requested the blocking of 437 social media profiles dedicated to the promotion and illegal operation of gambling.
The entity has stated that its objective is to “close the door to illegal operation, ensure compliance with the rules, and protect the resources intended for the wellbeing of Colombians”.
Between 2022 and 2026, gambling contributed a total of 7.2 trillion pesos (1.97 billion euros) to the health system.
According to Coljuegos’ updated list, there are 14 authorized online operators as of today, among which Betano, Betsson, Codere, Bwin, and Stake stand out. MrYoker.co is the latest platform to join the list.
Last July, the regulatory authority announced that in the last four years (during Gustavo Petro’s presidency) more than 45,000 illegal betting sites were blocked.