How to Start Your Own Online Casino in Colombia (2026 Guide) + Contact -

Colombia is one of Latin America’s most established regulated online gambling markets. Online casino games, sports betting and other approved internet gambling products operate under a national framework supervised by Coljuegos, giving investors something that is still missing in several countries across the region: a defined legal route into the market.
The opportunity is significant, but Colombia is not a market where an offshore casino can simply translate its website into Spanish and start accepting Colombian customers. A serious operation needs the correct concession, certified technology, local payments, player verification and responsible-gambling controls.
For investors prepared to build a properly regulated business, Colombia offers a growing online casino market with established player demand and strong digital infrastructure.

1. Is Colombia a Good Market for Online Casinos?

Market size

Colombia’s regulated online casino sector generated approximately COP 910.3 billion in GGR during 2024, up from COP 718.6 billion in 2023.
The longer-term growth is even more impressive. Casino GGR increased from COP 310.9 billion in 2020 to COP 910.3 billion in 2024. When bingo and poker are excluded, the main online casino category grew from COP 201.8 billion to COP 894.8 billion, representing a reported CAGR of approximately 45% between 2020 and 2024.

ℹ️ SEC

For comparison, Colombia’s total regulated online gambling market produced approximately COP 2.94 trillion in 2024. Casino therefore already represents a substantial part of the country’s digital gambling industry rather than being a small product attached to sportsbooks.

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Gambling trends

Slots, live casino and online table games are established parts of the regulated Colombian product offer. Current licensed operators can offer products such as virtual slots and live casino alongside sports betting, subject to their individual authorization. Coljuegos’ newest operator, MrYoker, for example, was authorized in 2026 to offer live casino, virtual slots and sports betting.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co +1

The competitive landscape already includes major names such as BetPlay, Wplay, Betsson, Codere, RushBet, Betano, Stake, Zamba, Bwin and others. As of May 2026, Coljuegos reported 15 authorized online operators in Colombia. Reliable current operator-by-operator casino market shares are not publicly available, so those should not be invented from web traffic or search-volume estimates.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

Internet and mobile penetration

Colombia is well suited to a mobile casino product.
The latest Digital 2026 data reports approximately 41.7 million internet users, equal to 77.8% internet penetration, together with 83 million active cellular mobile connections. The mobile-connection figure is not the same as 83 million smartphone users, but it does demonstrate how deeply mobile connectivity has penetrated everyday life in Colombia.

ℹ️ DataReportal – Global Digital Insights

This matters because registration, KYC, depositing, game loading and withdrawals all need to work smoothly on a phone. A beautiful desktop casino with a poor mobile experience is the wrong product for this market.

Growth potential

The wider regulated Colombian online gambling market is also expected to continue expanding.
H2 Gambling Capital data published in Codere Online’s July 2026 investor material estimates Colombia’s regulated online market, excluding lotteries, bingo and poker, at approximately €488 million in 2025, rising to €607 million in 2028 and €695 million in 2030. That represents expected annual growth of around 7–8%.

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That forecast covers online casino and sports betting together rather than casino alone, so we would present it as a total online-market forecast, not pretend it is a casino-only projection.

2. Legal Requirements for Starting an Online Casino in Colombia

Gambling laws

Online casinos are legal in Colombia when operated under authorization from Coljuegos.
Internet gambling is regulated as a form of “juegos novedosos” or novelty games. The framework covers games whose participation and prize payments take place online, including games based on virtual random-number generators. The rules were updated again in May 2026 through Agreement 01 of 2026.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co +1

A foreign or offshore licence does not replace Colombian authorization when the casino is targeting Colombian players.
That point became even more important in 2026. Colombia’s new tax rules state that gambling operations, content, technology, payment services, software and advertising connected with internet gambling must operate within the authorized legal structure.

ℹ️ Suin Juriscol

Licensing

A direct operator needs a concession contract from Coljuegos.
The application requires much more than registering a company and submitting a form. Coljuegos requires financial statements, bank certification, technical certification issued by an authorized laboratory, an estimate of the contract value, guarantees covering player balances and prizes, AML documentation, a code of conduct and a compliance officer, among other documentation.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

Coljuegos gives an official response period of approximately two months once a complete application has been submitted. Preparing the company, platform, financial guarantees, certifications, games and payments means the complete project normally takes considerably longer.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

A B2B platform or white-label partner can reduce the technical workload, but it does not remove the operator’s Colombian licensing obligations.

Taxes

The tax position needs careful financial modelling.
Coljuegos currently states that licensed online operators contribute 15% of monthly gaming gain through exploitation rights. Its current operator guidance also states that online operators must return the equivalent of at least 83% of betting income to registered players in prizes.

ℹ️ Portal CNJSA

In addition, Decree 240 of 2026 introduced a 16% national consumption tax on online gambling GGR for 2026, with GGR defined as stakes minus prizes during the relevant two-month period.

ℹ️ Suin Juriscol

There are also administration charges and normal company taxation to consider.
This is why headline casino GGR should never be confused with operator profit. Platform costs, game-provider shares, payments, bonuses, tax, acquisition and staff all come out before the investor reaches the bottom line.

Compliance

Every casino needs strong KYC and AML processes.
Players must be identified, accounts must operate according to Colombian requirements and the operator needs systems capable of reporting to Coljuegos. The licensing process also specifically requires AML documentation and a compliance officer.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

Responsible gambling is another major requirement. Operators must provide tools including self-exclusion, and Coljuegos reported 245,199 self-exclusion requests during 2024 and 2025.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

3. What You Need to Launch an Online Casino

Casino platform

The platform should combine player management, bonuses, payments, reporting, KYC, fraud controls and casino content in one stable system.
For Colombia, Spanish localization and mobile performance are essential.
The platform also needs to fit Coljuegos’ technical requirements rather than being chosen only because it has an attractive front end.
Game providers
Content is one of the biggest differences between an average casino and a strong one.
A competitive offer should normally include slots, live dealer games, roulette, blackjack and other table games, together with newer high-engagement formats where permitted.
Using an aggregator can make it easier to connect multiple studios through one integration, but every content and technology arrangement must fit the Colombian regulatory structure.
More games do not automatically create a better casino. A good lobby should make it easy for Colombian players to find the games they actually want to play.

Payment methods

Cards and bank payments remain important, but localization is critical.
Coljuegos specifically identifies debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards and cash-based channels such as Efecty, Baloto and Paga Todo among methods used by authorized gambling sites.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

PSE is also a major Colombian online-payment infrastructure, while Nequi has more than 27 million users in Colombia. Any proposed PSE, wallet or other local integration must of course be available to the licensed operator and accepted within its approved payment setup.

ℹ️ Nequi +1

Fast and familiar deposits attract customers. Fast and reliable withdrawals help keep them.

KYC/AML and customer support

KYC cannot be treated as an inconvenience added after the casino is built. It needs to be integrated into registration, deposits, withdrawals and fraud monitoring from the beginning.
Customer service should also be available in Spanish and understand local banking, verification and withdrawal issues.
Coljuegos requires authorized online sites to provide permanent player-service channels, reinforcing the importance of support as part of the regulated product.

ℹ️ Portal CNJSA

4. How Much Does It Cost to Launch an Online Casino?

Setup costs

A regulated Colombian casino requires significantly more capital than a basic offshore white-label casino.
For preliminary business planning, we would consider approximately:
Platform and technology: €<50,000
Licensing, legal work, certification, compliance and guarantees: €100,000–€300,000+
Marketing and acquisition: €100,000–€500,000+
Operating and working capital: €100,000–€300,000+
These are planning estimates, not official Coljuegos fees. The final requirement depends heavily on the company, provider contract, financial guarantees, technology and launch strategy.
A sensible overall planning range for a properly funded Colombian operation is approximately €350,000 to €1.2 million+ for the first year.

Licensing and game content

Casino content is commonly priced through revenue-share agreements, minimum commitments, platform fees or a combination of these.
This means the cheapest provider proposal is not necessarily the cheapest business model. A slightly higher platform cost can make sense if it provides better content terms, local integrations and less technical work.

Marketing budget

Colombia also regulates casino advertising.
Current rules cap advertising investment using formulas connected to GGR, require operators to submit annual advertising plans and impose special limits during the first months of a new concession. Advertising must identify the authorized operator and cannot be directed toward minors.

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Affiliates, SEO, social media, influencers, sponsorships and digital advertising can still be useful, but they need to fit those rules.
Operating costs and time to launch
Monthly costs can include platform revenue share, game-provider fees, payment processing, staff, customer support, compliance, KYC, fraud tools, hosting, accounting and marketing.
Although Coljuegos gives approximately two months for the formal application decision, 3–9 months is a more sensible planning window for a complete regulated launch once company setup, platform preparation, certification and integrations are included.

ℹ️ coljuegos.gov.co

5. How We Help You Launch Successfully

VB iGaming helps investors turn an online casino concept into a practical market-entry plan.
We can help evaluate platform providers, casino aggregators, payment options, commercial terms, operating costs and acquisition strategy while making sure the proposed structure takes Colombian regulation into account.
The objective is not simply to give you a casino website.
You need the right combination of regulation, technology, content, payments, customer acquisition and operating economics.
Our industry network allows us to compare different providers and structures instead of forcing every project into the same solution. We can also help negotiate the commercial setup and coordinate the different parts of the launch.
That can save both time and expensive mistakes before significant capital is committed.

6. Ready to Launch Your Online Casino in Colombia?

Colombia offers a combination that makes it one of Latin America’s most interesting regulated casino markets: strong historical online-casino growth, widespread internet access, familiar local digital payments and a clear licensing framework.
The opportunity is real, but so are the regulatory and financial requirements.
If you are considering starting an online casino in Colombia, VB iGaming can help you understand the real costs, choose the right providers and build a market-entry strategy before you invest.

Planning a sportsbook instead? Read our guide to starting a sportsbook in Colombia.

Research checked: 30 August 2026.