.svg)
Colombian gambling regulator Coljuegos is continuing its campaign against gambling addiction with a new initiative designed to tackle the dangers of compulsive gambling.
On a new website for Coljuegos' “Take Control, Play It Safe” campaign, players can take a test to identify risk factors and seek mental health advice. Although the site is linked in a press release from Coljuegos, it is not currently functioning.
The programme follows the recent adoption of Resolution 22654, which established guidelines on responsible gambling for all legal operators.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, the president of Coljuegos, said: “These guidelines make the control of responsible gaming more rigorous. We are asking operators to implement campaigns that inform gamblers about the risks associated with compulsive gambling.”
The resolution, published in October, gave operators until December 31 of this year to comply. It repealed earlier responsible gambling measures from 2021 and replaced them with similar but updated requirements. Such new regulatory initiatives have been common under the reign of Hincapié, an appointee of Colombia's first leftist President, Gustavo Petro.
The resolution highlights the need for responsible gambling programmes from each operator, a self-exclusion register and risk factor identification tests.
The latter is described as “a tool designed by Coljuegos to identify risk patterns or behaviours that require the adoption of preventive or risk mitigation measures in the face of uncontrolled gambling”. The Take Control, Play It Safe campaign mirrors the test requirements for operators themselves.
Coljuegos also announced late last week that it was investigating certain bets placed on professional Colombian football games from outside the country. It is evaluating blocking certain sites as a solution.
“We are investigating the origin of several websites from which sports bets are being made based on the results of professional football. We have acted quickly to protect both legal operators and bettors,” said Hincapié.
