Coljuegos has transferred $3.6 trillion to Colombian healthcare since 2012

Summary

At GAT Expo 2026 Coljuegos president Marco Emilio Hincapié announced that, since 2022, Coljuegos has transferred a total of $3.6 trillion to the subsidised Colombian healthcare regime — equivalent to 41.84% of the sector’s resources generated since 2012. In 2025 alone $1.1 trillion was transferred, helping provide subsidised medical care for approximately 836,000 low-income Colombians.

Hincapié also noted around $1.3 billion in VAT paid by 14 online gaming operators, funds that supported peace and reconciliation programmes in the Catatumbo region. He credited tough enforcement against illegal gambling for enabling these transfers, citing 8,113 illegal items seized across 234 operations, 12,833 machines destroyed and 41,884 blocking orders against illegal websites — 32,463 of which were issued under the current administration.

Coljuegos is expanding legal offerings: Keno launches on 1 April and is expected to contribute roughly $500 billion to healthcare over five years. The authority has finalised technical specifications for raffles and updated ACDV regulations to revitalise the sector. The announcements coincide with a controversial government decree reintroducing a 16% VAT on online gambling to raise funds for flood relief in northern Colombia.

Key Points

$3.6 trillion transferred to the subsidised healthcare regime since 2022, representing 41.84% of sector resources since 2012.
$1.1 trillion moved in 2025 alone, supporting subsidised care for about 836,000 people.
Approximately $1.3 billion in VAT from 14 online operators contributed to peace and reconciliation programmes in Catatumbo.
Enforcement actions: 8,113 illegal items seized, 12,833 machines destroyed, and 41,884 blocking orders issued (32,463 under the current administration).
Keno launch (1 April) expected to add ~ $500 billion to healthcare over five years; raffles and ACDV rules updated to broaden legal offerings.
The government has reintroduced emergency taxes, including a 16% VAT on online gambling, to fund disaster relief — a controversial move for the sector.

Why should I read this?

Short and blunt: gambling revenues are directly paying for healthcare and peacebuilding in Colombia — and regulators are hitting illegal operators hard. If you work in gaming, public policy or healthcare funding, this explains where billions are coming from and why recent tax and enforcement moves matter right now.

Context and relevance

This item links industry regulation, fiscal policy and social spending. Coljuegos’ transfers underline the fiscal weight of the regulated gambling sector amid renewed enforcement and new taxation. Operators should note the enforcement intensity and fresh product launches; policymakers and civil-society groups will watch how revenue is allocated to healthcare and disaster response.