Columbia Cranks Up Expansion in Earnest

Live dealer games are the newest engagement twist coming in to the Columbia market.

Tapping In

Licensed online gambling operators will soon not only be allowed to add live-dealer casino games and other gaming products, but they will be linked into international online poker bonuses and exchange betting.

Onward Expansion

Issue barely a week ago, the announcement detailed significant expansion plans after South America’s first regulating jurisdiction began offering its first online gaming licences this summer.

More New Games

Other new proposals include permissions for live dealer baccarat, blackjack and roulette, random number generator (RNG) casino products, virtual sports, racing products, and keno.

Ringed Fence Comes Down

Online poker liquidity sharing would be permitted with operators in other regulated markets, formally eliminating the prevailing ring-fenced restriction in the region that at least one poker giant (PokerStars) cited for withdrawing from the market in July.

European Model Precedent

The dropping of the ringed fence originated as a novel idea for increasing revenues in Europe, where European Union member states France, Italy, Portugal and Spain have contracted to share online poker liquidity starting sometime in the new year. Coljuegos’ cited this model as a rationale for dropping Columbia’s fence as well.

Ambitious Wager Scale

Further surprisingly ambitious opportunities embedded in the decree include permissions to offer bets on international financial markets apart from Colombian stocks or indices. Further final wagering prohibitions would be on cryptocurrency performance and political events.

Current Licensing Climate

As far as licensing activity, Colombia last month issued four online gambling licenses, with Spain’s Codere Apuestas becoming the fifth online sports betting licensee not so long ago.

Coljuegos Strategy

Coljuegos president Juan B. Perez Hidalgo had already expressed hope for the issuance of several more online licenses before year’s end, with Spanish operator Luckia and a Sportium joint venture from Spanish operator Cirsa and UK bookmakers Ladbrokes being among the anticipated next licensees. 

Outlook

Columbia looks to be moving headlong towards rapid and diverse expansion of its market, with the boost to legal government revenue being understandably a highly enticing carrot.