In this guide
Key takeaways
- Coljuegos is the state company that runs Colombia's monopoly over games of chance. An online sportsbook is legal only if it holds a concession contract with Coljuegos.
- The official list of authorized online operators sits on coljuegos.gov.co and shows each brand's company name, contract number and web address. Every listed domain ends in .co.
- You must be of legal age (18 in Colombia), and the address on your account must be in Colombia. Expect to prove your identity, especially before withdrawals.
- Unlicensed sites can still be reached, but you give up regulator oversight, the official complaint channel and mandatory player-protection tools, and the site can be blocked while your balance is inside it.
- Spot an illegal operator? Coljuegos takes reports at 01 8000 18 04 17 or denunciealilegal@coljuegos.gov.co.
Colombia has a fully regulated online betting market, and the whole system runs through a single regulator: Coljuegos. If you are betting in Colombia, whether you are local or an expat, the most useful habit you can build is checking a sportsbook against Coljuegos' own list before you deposit a single peso. This guide explains what Coljuegos is, walks you through the five-minute check, and spells out what changes for you as a player when a site is not on that list.
Betting is for adults of legal age in their country (18+ in Colombia). It is entertainment with a cost, not a way to make money. If betting stops being fun, see our responsible gambling tools and help guide.
What Coljuegos actually is
Coljuegos is an Empresa Industrial y Comercial del Estado, a state-owned commercial company. Its job is to administer what Colombian law calls the monopolio rentístico of games of chance. In plain English, the state holds the exclusive right to run or authorize gambling, and it uses that right to raise money for public health.
The foundation is Ley 643 de 2001. Article 1 defines the monopoly as the state's exclusive power to exploit, organize, administer and operate games of chance, and directs the revenue toward health services. Article 4 lists what is prohibited. Two items matter most to players:
- Offering or selling games of chance to minors is prohibited.
- Operating games that lack authorization from the competent authority is prohibited, and the law tells the authority to order such operations shut down.
Coljuegos covers national-level games, which includes online casinos and sportsbooks, plus physical casinos, slot halls and promotional games. Lotteries such as departmental lotteries are handled separately and are not covered here.
Because gambling is a state monopoly, private companies don't receive a license in the usual sense. They sign a contrato de concesión with Coljuegos. In everyday English you will see both words used; on the official list you will see a contract number.
How online betting is authorized in Colombia
To offer online betting legally, an operator must hold a concession contract with Coljuegos. That contract comes with conditions. According to Coljuegos' page on authorized online operators, licensed platforms must:
- Pay out the equivalent of 83% in prizes to registered players.
- Contribute a share of their monthly results to Colombia's subsidized health system.
- Register every player with a verified user account and only let the account holder bet from it.
On top of that, Resolución 22654 de 2024 set national responsible-gambling guidelines that operators must implement. Among other things, it requires operators to run awareness campaigns, offer self-exclusion on online games, and file an annual compliance report that Coljuegos can audit. You will find a fuller rundown of the player tools in our responsible gambling guide.
How to check if a betting site is authorized
This takes less time than signing up. Do it every time, even for a brand you have heard of, because lookalike domains and apps can exist.
- Open the official list on coljuegos.gov.coGo to the Coljuegos page titled "Operadores de Juegos Online Autorizados por Coljuegos" (linked in the sources below). Type the address yourself or use the link here; don't trust a link inside an ad or a message.
- Find the brand and note three detailsEach entry shows the operating company, the brand name, the website and the contract number. Write down the exact domain.
- Compare the domain character by characterColjuegos tells players to confirm that the operator's web address ends in
.co. A site with the same brand name on a .com, .net, .bet or any other ending is not the authorized platform listed for Colombia. - Check the site's footerLicensed operators typically display their company name and Coljuegos contract number at the bottom of the page, often next to the Coljuegos logo. These should match the official list. A logo alone proves nothing, because anyone can copy an image.
- Verify the app separatelyIf you are downloading an app, make sure it is published by the same company named on the list and that it leads to the listed domain.
The list changes as contracts start, end or change hands. Check the official page on the day you sign up rather than relying on a screenshot, a forum post or any third-party list, including ours.
Who was on the list when we checked
When we reviewed the Coljuegos page in October 2026, its table showed these 14 authorized online brands. (The same page also mentions "16" legal sites in its text, so treat the live table as the authority.)
| Brand | Domain on official list | Operating company |
|---|---|---|
| Wplay | wplay.co | Aquila Global Group S.A.S. |
| BetPlay | betplay.com.co | Corredor Empresarial S.A. |
| Betsson | betsson.co | Colbet S.A.S. |
| Zamba | zamba.co | E Total Gaming S.A.S. |
| Codere | codere.com.co | Codere Online Colombia S.A.S. |
| Luckia | luckia.co | Luckia Colombia S.A.S. |
| Sportium | sportium.com.co | Sportium Apuestas Colombia S.A.S. |
| Rushbet | rushbet.co | Rush Street Interactive Colombia S.A.S. |
| Rivalo | rivalo.co | Teclino S.A.S. |
| Yajuego | yajuego.co | Games and Betting S.A.S. |
| Bwin | sports.bwin.co | Bwin Latam S.A.S. |
| Stake | stake.com.co | Stake Colombia S.A.S. |
| Betano | betano.co | Kaizen Gaming Colombia S.A.S. |
| Mr. Yoker | mryoker.co | Global Vitxo S.A.S. |
This table is listed in the same order as the official page and is not a ranking or recommendation. Being authorized means a site is legal and supervised. It says nothing about whether its odds, bonuses or customer service are good.
Legal age and who can open an account
Coljuegos' rules for online players are short and strict:
- Legal age. You must be mayor de edad, which in Colombia means 18 or older. Selling gambling to minors is prohibited by Ley 643.
- Colombian address. The address registered on your user account must be in Colombian territory.
- Identity checks. Coljuegos warns that you will always have to prove your identity. In practice, operators verify ID at signup or before your first withdrawal.
- Your account only. Only the account holder may log in, bet or receive money. Never let anyone else use your account, and never use someone else's.
- Keep your data current. Coljuegos says personal details must be updated every year.
- Inactivity. An account with no play for six months is suspended, so withdraw your balance if you plan to stop.
Foreign residents generally sign up with a passport or a cédula de extranjería, depending on the operator. We cover the practical side in our guide for Americans in Colombia and depositing without a cédula.
What an unlicensed operator means for you
Plenty of offshore sportsbooks accept Colombian players or advertise on social media. Colombian law frames its prohibitions and penalties around who is allowed to operate games. For you as a player, the practical cost of using an unauthorized site is losing every protection the regulated system provides.
No Colombian regulator
Coljuegos doesn't supervise the site's games, payouts or player accounts, and you can't use its complaint channel to resolve a dispute.
Blocking risk
Coljuegos can send unauthorized sites to internet providers for blocking. If a site goes dark while you hold a balance, getting it back may be difficult or impossible.
No guaranteed tools
The self-exclusion and responsible-gambling duties in Resolución 22654 apply to authorized operators, not to sites outside the system.
Messier money
Unlicensed sites may route deposits through crypto or third-party processors, which makes chargebacks and dispute resolution harder.
Blocking is active. In 2025, Colombia's Ministry of ICT (MinTIC) issued Circular Externa 0017, which sets out the procedure for internet service providers to block websites and channels linked to unauthorized gambling, with Coljuegos able to upload the addresses directly to the providers' platform. Using a VPN to reach a blocked site adds its own problems; see why you shouldn't use a VPN for betting.
A domain that doesn't end in .co, no company name or contract number in the footer, sign-ups through WhatsApp or Instagram DMs, "agents" who take deposits into personal accounts, influencer raffles, and promises of guaranteed winnings. Licensed or not, no one can guarantee a win.
How to report an illegal site or contact Coljuegos
Coljuegos publishes separate channels for reporting illegality and for general questions. The contacts below are listed on its official customer-service page:
| Purpose | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Report illegal gambling | 01 8000 18 04 17 · denunciealilegal@coljuegos.gov.co | For unauthorized sites, apps, raffles or social-media promoters |
| Customer service | 01 8000 18 28 88 (national toll-free) · +57 601 742 0698 (Bogotá) | Weekdays during office hours |
| General email | contactenos@coljuegos.gov.co | Questions and requests |
| Formal petitions | PQRSD form on coljuegos.gov.co | For petitions, complaints and claims you want tracked |
If you have a dispute with an authorized operator, start with the operator's own customer service and keep screenshots, emails and transaction IDs. If that fails, a written PQRSD to Coljuegos creates a record.
Coljuegos also runs Toma el Control (tomaelcontrol.coljuegos.gov.co), a responsible-gambling microsite with a risk self-test and a directory of health providers offering mental-health support.
Frequently asked questions
Is online sports betting legal in Colombia?
Yes, when it is offered by an operator that holds a concession contract with Coljuegos. Those operators appear on the official list of authorized online operators at coljuegos.gov.co, and their domains end in .co.
How do I know if a betting site is authorized by Coljuegos?
Open the authorized-operator list on coljuegos.gov.co, find the brand, and compare the exact domain and contract number with what the site shows in its footer. If the domain is different or the brand is missing, treat the site as unauthorized.
What is the legal betting age in Colombia?
You must be of legal age, which in Colombia is 18. Law 643 of 2001 prohibits offering or selling games of chance to minors, and operators verify identity before letting you withdraw.
Can foreigners bet on licensed Colombian sites?
Coljuegos requires the address on your account to be in Colombia, and you must verify your identity. Foreign residents usually register with a passport or cédula de extranjería, depending on the operator's own rules.
What happens if I use an unlicensed betting site?
You lose the protections of the regulated system: Coljuegos does not supervise the site, you cannot use its complaint process, mandatory self-exclusion tools may not exist, and the site may be blocked while your money is inside it.
How do I report an illegal betting site in Colombia?
Coljuegos takes reports of illegal gambling on its toll-free line 01 8000 18 04 17 or by email at denunciealilegal@coljuegos.gov.co.
Keep learning before you bet
Our guides cover payments, odds and responsible-gambling tools across Latin America, written to help you make informed choices.
Read more guides →Sources
- Operadores de Juegos Online Autorizados por Coljuegos — Coljuegos
- Canales de atención — Coljuegos
- Ley 643 de 2001 (full text) — Cancillería de Colombia normograma
- Ministerio TIC publica Circular sobre procedimiento para bloqueo de sitios web que promueven juegos de azar no autorizados — MinTIC
- Juego responsable en Colombia: una resolución de Coljuegos obliga a los operadores a proteger a los jugadores — Focus Gaming News
18+ only. This article is general information for adults and is not legal, financial or tax advice. Betting involves real risk of loss; never bet money you cannot afford to lose, and no bet, system or tip can guarantee a win. Rules and listings change, so confirm details with the official sources linked above. This article contains no affiliate links. If gambling is causing you harm, stop and reach out for support.