First to license, and it mattered
The eGaming Act of 2016 made Colombia the first country in Latin America with a full online gambling licensing regime, supervised by Coljuegos. Being first is not a trivia point here: while Brazil only licensed betting from 2025 and Mexico still runs on a 1947 statute, Colombia has had a decade of licensed operators, and the regime is the reference other regulators in the region cite.
The minimum age is 18 for all gambling. Enforcement is active rather than nominal: in February 2025 Coljuegos reported blocking 10,000 illegal sites and social media profiles, and opened proceedings against 35 influencers promoting them.
The tax the court refused
In 2025 the government moved to put a 19% VAT on online gambling, reaching both deposits and gross gaming revenue, using an emergency decree rather than ordinary legislation. Decree 1474 of 2025 was challenged and the Constitutional Court struck it down, holding that the president had exceeded the powers an emergency confers.
That is worth noting beyond Colombia. A regulated market's stability depends on tax being set by a process that cannot be short-circuited, and this is a case where a court said so in terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is online gambling legal in Colombia?
- Yes. Colombia was the first country in Latin America to regulate it comprehensively, under the eGaming Act of 2016, licensed by Coljuegos.
- What is the legal gambling age?
- 18, for every form of gambling.
- Was gambling taxed at 19% in 2025?
- The government tried, through an emergency decree. The Constitutional Court struck it down as exceeding executive power.
Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in August 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.