Written by: Joseph Falchetti, Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Last updated:
7 minute read

Colombia Sports Betting

Colombian Sports Betting

Colombia Sports Betting
Status: Legal & Licensed
B&M Availability: Lawful
Online Availability: Legal & Licensed
Minimum Age: 18+
Restrictions: None

Colombia legalized sports betting a generation ago, so most forms of land-based sports wagering are legal. This makes Colombia one of the most permissive gaming jurisdictions in South America, with sports bets and greyhound race pari-mutuel betting allowed. This is controlled by a state monopoly, though. In 2016, Colombia became the first South American country to legalize online gambling, including online sportsbooks. Sites are just starting to collect licenses, so it is a growing industry.

This guide to Colombian sports betting introduces readers to the gambling laws of Colombia, along with its full gaming history. The reader will learn which online gambling operators have licenses, which are blacklisted, and which are rumored to be applying for gaming licenses at the present. Coljuegos, the online gambling regulator, announced a vast expansion of online gambling in November 2017, so it is an exciting time for Colombian online gamblers.

Colombian Sports Betting Legality

In Colombia, most forms of gambling are legal. Gambling is state-run, though, so most of the proceeds go to the government for social improvements. The 1991 Constitution of Colombia created a state monopoly for gambling, with the 2001 Gambling Act specified which forms of gambling the state-controlled: brick-and-mortar casinos, bingo halls, greyhound race betting, and sports betting. Coljuegos is the gambling agency which oversees all these gaming forms, including online gambling sites.

In 2016, Colombia legalized online sports betting, along with a variety of other forms of online gambling. The licensing fee ($160,000) was too high for many operators, while a 16% value-added tax (VAT) was imposed. Also, Coljuegos blacklisted 325 sites in March 2016. The list of blacklisted operators was a who’s who of online gambling royalty, including William Hill, Betfair, Paddy Power, PokerStars, and Ladbrokes. In 2017, Coljuegos softened its position and is now more international-friendly, after it approved international poker liquidity and live dealer casinos in November 2017.

Safety of Online Sports Betting in Colombia

excellent sports bettingThe safety of online sports betting in Colombia is much better in the aftermath of the September 2016 law which empowered Coljuegos to regulate gaming. Before Colombia online gambling legalization, Coljuegos banned many of the legitimate online gambling sites. Without popular and trusted sportsbooks involved, Colombian sports bettors were prey to a patchwork of disreputable operators. In the past 14 months, the situation has transformed. While the process is still in flux, more reputable online sportsbooks and betting exchanged will gain licenses all the time.

On November 10, 2017, Coljuegoz legalized online sports betting exchanges and virtual sports. Those are further signs that progressive policies are on the way. Colombia also legalized international poker liquidity arrangements on the same day, a sign that officials are opening the way for trusted international online sportsbooks to enter the licensed gaming market.

Catering to Colombian Sports Bettors

Colombian sports bettors require access to a range of wagers involving South and Central American football, as well as European football matches. Live/in-play betting is important to any Colombian sports bettor who uses an Android smartphone or iPhone. Sports betting operators need to offer not only a sportsbook but also a racebook. That racebook needs to provide access to pari-mutuel horse racing wagers, but also greyhound bets.

Colombian sports bettors demand sites translated into the Spanish language. While payouts in Colombian pesos is important, this disqualifies some of the most trustworthy sportsbooks, so it is not essential.

Online Sports Betting in Colombia

A breakdown of what it’s like to bet online sports in Colombia

Top Colombian Sports to Bet On

  • soccer betting
  • football betting
  • baseball betting

Currencies

  • US Dollar
  • Colombian peso

Languages

  • Spanish betting

These options may not be available at all sportsbooks but represent typical experiences.

Best Colombian Betting Sites

Some Colombian betting sites are better than others. Since it began licensing online sportsbooks in the summer of 2017, Coljuegos has legalized sites like Wplay.co (Aquila Global Group), Betplay.com.co (Corredor Empressarial), Zamba.co (Vicca Group and GAMING1), and a Bogota-based Colombian startup named Colbet are licensed in Colombia now. Others are rumored to be in the process of gaining a license, including Luckia, Codere, Sportium (Cirsa and Ladbrokes), and Cornazar, a site owned by the National Corporation of Entrepreneurs of Luck and Chance Games. Besides the site co-owned by Ladbrokes, none of those Colombian bookmaker sites are affiliated with the world famous, world class sportsbook operators.

We recommend Colombian sports bettors sign up for accounts with the best online sportsbooks in the world, which are known to be safe, secure, and reliable in paying winnings.

Top Ranked Colombian Betting Site – Sportsbetting.ag

  • Accepts all major credit cards
  • Accepts Litecoin, Bitcoin other cryptos
  • Large assortment of sports betting markets
  • Competitive odds for betting on many sports
  • European football specific bonuses offered for the Cup

Why Is Sportsbook.ag The Best?

The SportsBetting.ag betting site offers most of the biggest sports, including Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey (read review). They also have other international sports like soccer, rugby, and cricket. For the avid bettor, you can use their Live Betting to place bets in real-time. Pick from among dozens of different wagers you can place on a single match-up, along with great prop bets.

SportsBetting.ag offers new members plenty of bonuses, like their 50% up to $1,000 in Free Bets using the code “SB1000“. For those that use Bitcoin, can take advantage of their $20 up to $500 Bitcoin bonus using the promo code “BETCRYPTO“. Take advantage of their bonuses, live betting, and incredible sports betting odds with a sign-up bonus of 50% Up To $1,000. Check out Sportsbetting.ag to place bets and win!

Great For Betting On International Sports – Betonline Sportsbook

  • Accepts all major cryptocurrencies
  • Accepts all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard)
  • Posts sports betting odds earlier than others
  • Large cash or crypto deposit bonus and endless reloads
  • Large bet on point spreads plus other popular sports bets

Why Bet At BetOnline?

BetOnline (read review) is one of the most versatile sites when it comes to deposit options. They accept a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Dash. These are by far the best choice for players as they have an extremely high deposit and withdrawal amount.

BetOnline offers loads of year-round promotions for major sports. Their standard deposit bonus is 50% Up To $250 for players on their first deposit (newly signed-up). This deposit comes with a 10x rollover. They also offer several promotions such as $25 live betting freeplay, $50 mobile betting freeplay, and a risk-free $25 play prop bet. Check out BetOnline to place bets and win!

Colombian Deposits and Withdrawals

Colombian online sportsbooks use many different deposit methods and withdrawal methods. The withdrawal methods with the high limits tend to have a waiting period, usually between 2 business days and 28 business days. These cashout methods have payouts between $50,000 to $100,000, which are between 2 and 10 times the amount of money the free withdrawal methods allows. This makes it worthwhile for high rollers to use withdrawal methods like electronic bank wire transfers and banking checks.

Colombian Deposit Options You Can Use

Visa Credit: Visa credit card withdrawals have a minimum withdrawal of $10 and a max withdrawal of $30,000. These credit card transactions take 1 to 5 business days to complete. Visa payments are free.
Mastercard Credit: MasterCard credit card withdrawals have min/max withdrawal limits between $10 and $30,000. MasterCard credit card withdrawals take 1 to 5 banking days. MasterCard payouts are free.
Debit Card: Visa Electron, Visa Debit, and Maestro withdrawals are allowed, too. Like the credit card transactions, the minimum withdrawal is $10 and maximum withdrawal is $30,000. Debit card withdrawals are free, but take 1 to 5 business days.
Entropay: EntroPay prepaid card deposits are free and instant. Players can fund their accounts with deposits between $20 and $30,000.
Neteller: Neteller deposits are free and instant, with deposit limits between $20 and $50,000.
Skrill: Skrill offers free and instant deposits, with min deposits of $10 and maximum deposit of $38,000.
Skrill One-Tap: Skrill 1-Tap is a method for mobile sports bettors that is
considered simpler. Skrill 1-Tap deposits have a minimum and maximum limit between $10 and $13,000.
PaySafeCard: PaySafeCard, once known as Ukash, is a UK-based voucher method which is free and instantaneous. PaySafeCard deposits range between $10 and $1000.
AstroPay: AstroPay supports free and instant deposits with limits between $5 and $10,000. Astropay is a prepaid card.
Bank Wire: Bank wire transfer takes between 2 to 10 business days. This payment method has high deposit limits ranging between $50 and $100,000. Colombian high rollers use bank wire transfers.
Cheque/Check: Bank check is a free payment method, though it takes 5 to 28 business days for the check to arrive. Banking check deposit limits range between $1,500 and $80,000.

Colombian Withdrawal Options You Can Use

Visa Credit: Visa credit card withdrawals have a minimum withdrawal of $10 and a max withdrawal of $30,000. These credit card transactions take 1 to 5 business days to complete. Visa payments are free.
Mastercard Credit: MasterCard credit card withdrawals have min/max withdrawal limits between $10 and $30,000. MasterCard credit card withdrawals take 1 to 5 banking days. MasterCard payouts are free.
Debit Card: Visa Electron, Visa Debit, and Maestro withdrawals are allowed, too. Like the credit card transactions, the minimum withdrawal is $10 and maximum withdrawal is $30,000. Debit card withdrawals are free, but take 1 to 5 business days.
Skrill: Skrill withdrawals are free, but take up to 24 hours to complete. Skrill payouts have a minimum cashout of $10 and a max withdrawal of $38,000.
Neteller: Neteller provides free withdrawals, but take up to 12 hours to reach your
account. Neteller’s withdrawal limits are higher than Skrill’s. The minimum and maximum payouts are between $20 and $50,000.
Entropay: The Entropay virtual prepaid card supports free withdrawals within 24 hours of the request. The limits on Entropay cashouts are $25 and $30,000.
Bank Wire: Bank wire transfers from Colombian sportsbooks take 2 to 10 business days to reach your account. The first payment each month is free, but subsequent payouts cost $9 in US dollars. The withdrawal limits for electronic bank wires are $40 and $50,000, making it a favorite method by high stakes sports bettors.
Cheque/Check: Bank check is a withdrawal method with high cashout rates, between $1,500 and $80,000. This method is free to transact but takes 5 to 28 business days.

Colombian Gambling History

Colombians have a long history of wagering on sports, especially horse racing, dog racing, and footbol. The Colombian government maintained a ban on most forms of gambling but has become one of the most progressive South American governments when it came to gambling in recent decades. When Colombia created its 9th Constitution in 1991 (replacing the 1886 Constitution), it contained a provision for a state-run gaming monopoly. This legalized casino gambling, bingo halls, and sports betting, but all under the auspices of Coljuegos. Since then, Coljuegos has gained ever-greater authority in the gambling arena.

The 2001 Gambling Act defined which forms of gambling were controlled by the state monopoly. Decree 4144 of 2011 changed Article 2 of the Constitution to integrate the CNJSA into Coljuegos, which began the process of consolidating online gambling laws under the gaming regulator. In September 2016, online gambling was legalized. Coljuegos was charged with implementing and overseeing the new regulations. In November 2017, Coljuegos announced that sports betting exchanges, virtual sports, online keno and scratch cards, and live dealer casinos were legal. On the same day, it legalized international poker liquidity sharing.

Colombian Gambling Resources

Those wanting to learn about Colombia’s gambling industry should read the official site for Coljuegos, the nation’s all-inclusive gambling regulator. Colombia’s government has a state monopoly over land-based gambling, so Coljuegos works with Colombian police to crack down on illegal gambling operations. In the online gambling industry, Coljuegos is encouraging commercial investment from domestic and international online gaming groups. Online sportsbooks and sports betting exchanges are among those groups.

Website Information
Coljuegos Colombian Regulator Coljuegos is both a state-run monopoly and the Colombian gambling regulator. Coljuegos is referred to as the Organizational Development of the Industrial and Commercial Company of the State. Coljuegos has regulated land-based Colombian gambling since 1991, with increases in its authority in 2001, 2011, and 2016. In September 2016, Coljuegos became the online gambling regulatory agency, as well. Juan B. Perez Hidalgo is the current president of Coljuegos.
CNJSA The CNJSA is an administration which belongs to the Executive Branch of the Central Sector, which integrates the Administrative Sector of Health and Social Protection. It is the technical secretariat of the National Council of Luck and Chance Games. The CNJSA is under the auspices of the Vice President of Conjuegos.

About the Author

Joseph Falchetti

Joseph Falchetti

Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert

Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.

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