Colijuegos gets tough on Colombian illegal gambling activities
Colombian national gambling regulator Colijuegos has undertaken its biggest ‘offensive against illegal gambling activities/services’, working in partnership with Colombia’s federal police force.
In its latest industry update, Colijuegos governance has revealed that during 2018 it has seized +2,000 illegal slot machines primarily operating within the cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena.
Sanctioned by Colombia’s Ministry of Finance, Colijuegos set-up a joint taskforce working alongside the federal police, targeting ‘illegal gambling services which evade taxes and exploit regulatory policies’.
Updating the media, Colijuegos President Juan B. Pérez Hidalgo, declared that the task-force had seized machines that exploited circa COP $ 1,300 million 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 Colijuegos, 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 Colijuegos 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 Colijuegos investigations, which have helped protect a vital revenue source for Colombia’s national health and social services.
Source: SBC News
