Coljuegos, the Colombian national gambling regulator, has been working in partnership with the country’s federal police force to undertake its biggest ‘ clampdown on illegal gambling activities/services’.
In its latest industry update, Coljuegos governance has revealed that during 2018 it has seized more than 2,000 illegal slot machines that were primarily being operated within the cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena.
Sanctioned by Colombia’s Ministry of Finance, the regulator established a joint task force working alongside the federal police, targeting ‘illegal gambling services which evade taxes and exploit regulatory policies’.
In a media statement, Coljuegos President Juan B. Pérez Hidalgo, declared that the task-force had seized machines that exploited circa COP $ 1,300m in annual tax charges.
So far, criminal investigations carried out in 2017 and 2018, have seen the Colombian police arrested 33 people in connection with operating illegal gambling enterprises/premises. Furthermore, backing Coljuegos, Colombia’s Ministry of Finance has expanded its code on defining illegal gambling services.
Seeking to support its revamped national gambling framework, the governance of Coljuegos has further introduced new penalties alongside tougher sentencing for criminal gangs operating illegal gambling services.
Hidalgo praised the support of the federal police force in assisting Coljuegos investigations, which have helped protect a vital revenue source for Colombia’s national health and social services.
