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

Colombia is one of the most established regulated online betting markets in Latin America. It was one of the first countries in the region to build a national framework specifically for online gambling, and today Colombian players can choose between major local brands and international operators that have obtained authorization from Coljuegos.
That combination of regulation, strong football culture and growing digital adoption makes Colombia attractive for sportsbook investors. But it is not a market where an operator can simply launch an offshore website and legally start accepting Colombian players.
If you want to build a serious sportsbook in Colombia, regulation, local payments and a strong mobile product need to be part of the plan from the beginning.

1. Is Colombia a Good Market for Sports Betting?

Market size

Colombia already has a substantial online gambling market.
For 2024, industry data reported through Codere Online’s SEC filings put regulated Colombian online gaming GGR at approximately COP 2.94 trillion. Sports betting represented around COP 2.03 trillion, making it considerably larger than the online casino segment at the time.
The longer-term trend is even more interesting. Sports betting GGR increased from approximately COP 317 billion in 2020 to more than COP 2 trillion in 2024.
More recent H2 Gambling Capital estimates put Colombia’s regulated online market, excluding lotteries, bingo and poker, at approximately €488 million in 2025, with a forecast of around €607 million by 2028 and €695 million by 2030.
That represents projected growth of approximately 7–8% per year.
The market has experienced regulatory and tax disruption, particularly during 2025, but the long-term direction remains positive.
Sports popularity

Football dominates Colombian sports betting.

Colombians bet heavily on the national league, the Colombian national team, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, European football and the UEFA Champions League. Major international tournaments can generate very significant spikes in sportsbook activity.
Basketball and tennis are the next important betting sports. NBA betting has developed a strong following, while international tennis provides a continuous calendar of matches throughout the year.
Baseball, cycling, esports and other sports provide additional markets, but football should remain at the centre of any Colombian sportsbook product.
This also creates opportunities for live betting, player markets, same-game combinations and localized promotions around Colombian teams and international competitions.
Internet and mobile usage
Colombia is increasingly digital.
At the end of 2025, approximately 41.7 million people were using the internet, equal to 77.8% of the population. The country also had around 83 million active cellular connections.
This creates an environment where players expect to register, deposit, bet and withdraw money directly from their phones.
A sportsbook entering Colombia therefore needs more than a responsive website. Registration, KYC, deposits, live betting and withdrawals should all be designed around a mobile-first customer journey.

Betting culture

Colombia already has a mature betting audience.
BetPlay, Wplay, RushBet, Stake, Betsson, Codere, Betano and other brands have helped make regulated online betting familiar to Colombian customers. In May 2026, Coljuegos reported 15 authorized online operators.
That is good news because customers already understand the product. The challenge is that a new operator must compete with brands that have been acquiring Colombian players for years.
Local positioning therefore matters. Simply translating an international sportsbook into Spanish is unlikely to be enough.

2. Legal Requirements for Starting a Sportsbook in Colombia

Gambling regulations

Online betting is legal in Colombia when operated under authorization from Coljuegos, the national gambling regulator.
Sports betting falls within Colombia’s regulated category of internet-operated games.
A company that wants to operate directly must meet financial, legal and technical requirements and obtain a concession contract from Coljuegos.
An offshore gambling licence does not replace Colombian authorization when the business is targeting Colombian players.
This distinction is particularly important in 2026. Colombian rules also restrict payment companies, technology providers, software companies, media and other suppliers from supporting unauthorized online gambling operations.

Licensing

The direct market-entry route is a Coljuegos concession.
Applicants must demonstrate the required corporate structure, financial capacity, technical systems, certifications and player-protection controls. Coljuegos states that the formal application process has a response period of approximately two months, although preparing the company, platform, certifications and integrations usually makes the complete launch process longer.
Recent concessions have been granted for multi-year periods. For example, the operator MrYoker received authorization in 2026 to provide sports betting, online slots and live casino through 2031.
A supplier or consultant can support a licensed Colombian operator, but a white-label agreement does not automatically give an independent brand permission to operate in Colombia.
The legal structure must be designed correctly before launch.

Taxes

Colombian operators already pay gambling-specific exploitation rights. Coljuegos currently describes the principal charge as 15% of monthly gaming revenue, subject to the applicable regulatory conditions.
For 2026, an additional major tax applies.
Decree 240 of 2026 introduced a 16% national consumption tax on online gambling GGR, defined as stakes minus prizes, for the 2026 tax year.
There are also administration charges and other normal corporate obligations.
This means Colombia should not be approached as a very low-cost licensing jurisdiction. Tax modelling needs to be completed before deciding the commercial structure, bonuses, sportsbook margin and acquisition budget.

Local restrictions

Operators need player identification procedures, responsible-gambling controls and systems capable of meeting Coljuegos’ technical reporting requirements.
Players must be adults and registered through verified accounts.
Advertising is also regulated. Colombia limits the amount licensed operators can invest in advertising and requires operators to report their marketing plans. Promotions cannot be structured without considering these rules.
Responsible-gambling tools, including self-exclusion, are becoming increasingly important. More than 245,000 self-exclusion requests were recorded across Colombian online gambling during 2024 and 2025.
Compliance therefore needs to be part of the product itself, rather than something added after launch.

3. What You Need to Launch a Sportsbook

Sportsbook platform

The platform is the operational core of the business.
You need a system capable of handling pre-match and live betting, customer accounts, bonuses, risk management, reporting, payments, KYC and regulatory requirements.
For Colombia, the platform should also be optimized for Spanish-language users and mobile traffic.
Reliability during major football events is critical. The night of an important Colombia match is not the moment to discover that the platform cannot handle additional traffic.

Payment methods

Payment localization can make a major difference in conversion.
Cards and bank transfers remain important, but Colombian customers are accustomed to local payment infrastructure and digital wallets.
Coljuegos itself lists cards and cash-based channels such as Efecty, Baloto and Paga Todo among payment options available through authorized operators. PSE is also important for online bank payments, while digital wallets such as Nequi and Daviplata are widely used in Colombia.
Nequi alone reports more than 27 million Colombian users.
A strong sportsbook should therefore offer a payment mix that feels Colombian rather than forcing customers into international payment methods they rarely use.

Odds provider

Football should receive the deepest coverage.
That includes Colombian competitions, Copa Libertadores, European leagues, Champions League and international tournaments.
Basketball, tennis, baseball and esports can then expand the offer.
Live betting is particularly important because it increases engagement and creates considerably more betting opportunities during each event.

Customer support

Spanish-speaking customer support is essential.
Support should understand deposits, withdrawals, verification and local payment problems rather than simply providing generic international responses.
A sportsbook operating under Colombian regulation also needs permanent customer-service processes capable of dealing with player complaints.

Marketing essentials

The established operators already have visibility, sponsorships and large customer databases.
New entrants therefore need a focused acquisition strategy.
Affiliates, sports media, SEO, social media, influencers, sponsorships and targeted digital campaigns can all play roles, subject to Colombian advertising rules.
Instead of trying to outspend the biggest brands immediately, a new sportsbook can compete through better positioning, local content, faster payments, strong customer service and carefully selected acquisition channels.

4. How Much Does It Cost to Launch a Sportsbook?

Setup costs

There are two completely different calculations.
A turnkey sportsbook platform can be launched technically for a relatively modest amount in some international markets.
A fully licensed Colombian operator is a different project.
Legal work, regulatory requirements, financial guarantees, certifications, licensing obligations, technology and operating capital mean that a serious direct Colombian launch requires substantial funding.
For that reason, we would not present Colombia as a €10,000 regulated sportsbook opportunity.
An investor should normally plan in the high six-figure range or above when considering the complete capitalization of a properly licensed Colombian operation, depending on the business model and marketing strategy.

Monthly operating costs

Ongoing costs normally include:
platform or revenue share, payment processing, sports data and odds, employees, customer service, compliance, KYC, hosting, fraud management, legal/accounting support and marketing.
Taxes and Coljuegos payments also need to be built into the sportsbook model before the expected operator margin is calculated.

Marketing budget

Colombia is competitive, but that does not mean every new sportsbook needs a massive launch campaign.
A controlled strategy can begin with specific player segments, affiliates, organic traffic and targeted campaigns.
However, Colombian advertising expenditure is regulated, so marketing plans should be built together with the legal and financial model.
Time to launch
The regulator indicates approximately two months for a completed authorization request. In reality, creating the company, selecting the platform, preparing documentation, obtaining technical certification, integrating payments and completing compliance work means a full regulated launch can take several months.
A realistic project plan is more useful than promising an artificial 30-day launch.

5. How We Help You Launch Successfully

VB iGaming helps entrepreneurs and companies turn the sportsbook idea into an executable project.
We can help you evaluate the Colombian market, choose an appropriate sportsbook platform, understand provider offers, structure payments, plan customer acquisition and prepare the commercial model around the regulatory environment.
Our role is not simply to sell software.
The objective is to connect the technology, regulation, payments, product and business strategy into one workable sportsbook operation.
Through our industry network, we can also help identify providers and solutions that match the size of the project instead of forcing every investor into the same package.
That can shorten the research and negotiation process and help avoid expensive mistakes before launch.

6. Ready to Launch Your Sportsbook in Colombia?

Colombia offers something many Latin American markets still do not: a mature online betting audience, clear national regulation, established digital payments and a strong sports culture.
It is also competitive and heavily regulated.
That makes planning especially important.
If you are considering launching a sportsbook in Colombia, VB iGaming can help you evaluate the business model, technology, regulatory route, costs and market-entry strategy before you commit your capital.

Interested in casino instead? Read our guide to starting an online casino in Colombia.

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Colombia research notes — checked 30 August 2026