From 2024 to 2025, about 250,000 Colombians signed up to self-exclude from online gambling sites, the country’s gambling regulator Coljuegos informed.
Coljuegos president Marco Emilio Hincapié explained that the enormous figure of 245,199 registrants was possible because the regulator cooperated very closely with the gaming operators so that they could both promote legal and responsible gambling.
He stated:
We have been implementing the ‘Take Control, Play It Safe” campaign, through which we have informed players about the risks and consequences of uncontrolled gambling. Our purpose is to promote gambling as entertainment, not as an addiction.
The gender-based pattern in self-exclusion is quite evident from the data, with men making up 81 percent of all registrations and women only 19 percent for both 2024 and 2025.
The majority of applications, by geographical distribution, come from the most heavily populated departments and cities in the country. In 2025, Antioquia leads the pack with 21.39 percent of the total registrations, while Bogotá is just a step behind at 19.07 percent. Valle del Cauca, Atlántico, and Santander also contribute significantly to the numbers.
Hincapié said:
Self-exclusion has become an increasingly popular self-care tool among Colombians. The increase and consistency in the records reflect a greater awareness of the risks of excessive gambling and the importance of having effective mechanisms to protect the health and well-being of users.
We point out that all 14 online gambling companies have dedicated sections on their websites for users to request self-exclusion. By using this method, the applicants are able to block from gambling with those accounts registered under their identification number.
Hincapié concluded:
As a regulatory body, we will continue working with operators to strengthen these strategies and to promote safer and more responsible digital entertainment environments.
