Evert Montero: five regulatory adjustments Colombia needs to consolidate its gaming industry
According to Evert Montero Cárdenas, president of Fecoljuegos, the gambling business in Colombia needs smart regulatory reforms based on technological facts rather than premature political judgments. In this second SiGMA News exclusive interview following the revelation of how Colombia’s gaming market reached COP 45 billion, the industry leader details five priority areas that will determine the sustainability of the formal sector, the protection of tax revenues, and the international competitiveness of the Colombian market against the illegal market, which continues to grow without effective regulatory oversight.
What are the priority regulatory adjustments needed to consolidate the industry?
Montero Cárdenas was categorical in his initial response: “The consolidation of Colombia’s gambling and gaming industry at this point depends on smart regulatory adjustments that protect legality and tax revenues without destroying the competitiveness of the formal sector.” He also identified the five core areas that Fecoljuegos is focusing on in its regulatory reform agenda: taxation, advertising and sponsorships, sports integrity, responsible gambling, and the control of illegality.
The president of Fecoljuegos emphasised that each of these fronts presents different dynamics. “At Fecoljuegos, we see five priority fronts: taxation, advertising and sponsorships, sports integrity, responsible gambling, and control of illegality, identifying in addition where clear consensus exists and where the main resistance lies,” Montero Cárdenas explained. However, he acknowledged that not all areas enjoy the same degree of political and technical agreement to move forward with concrete reforms.
The five pillars of Colombia’s regulatory reform
Montero Cárdenas precisely outlined the transformation agenda required by Colombia’s legal gambling industry. Taxation, advertising and sponsorships, sports integrity, responsible gambling, and control of illegality are the five pillars. The head of Fecoljuegos claims that while each of these sectors has unique difficulties, they are all necessary for the sector’s final consolidation. In some areas, a clear technical consensus exists, while in others, political resistance continues to slow necessary reforms. Consequently, Fecoljuegos aims to advance simultaneously across these five pillars, based on rigorous analysis rather than improvised decisions.
How should the current tax structure be reformed?
On the subject of taxation, Montero Cárdenas was direct in diagnosing the main problem: “One of the critical issues was the decision to apply a 19% VAT on online gaming deposits, a base that does not reflect the operator’s actual income and creates an excessive effective burden when combined with exploitation rights and other taxes.” In fact, this structure generated negative consequences throughout the legal operator’s value chain.
According to the president of Fecoljuegos, this taxation design had an immediate counterproductive effect: “It ended up punishing the legal operator, increasing costs for formal players, and making the illegal or unregulated offer more attractive.” The impact, therefore, goes beyond fiscal matters, directly affecting the competitiveness of the regulated market against the underground one.
“The priority is to move towards a single tax on GGR that is transparent, verifiable, and aligned with international standards, that simplifies the structure, ensures stable collection, and prevents double or multiple taxation on the same money,” Montero Cárdenas added.
What balance should exist between responsible advertising and commercial competitiveness?
Montero Cárdenas was firm about differentiating between effective and ineffective regulation: the challenge is not to outlaw more, but to regulate better, discerning between legal and illegal operators when imposing sanctions, preventing advertising regulations from treating authorised operators as being on par with illegal ones, and allowing responsible sponsorships in sports and entertainment.
There is a general consensus that it is necessary to safeguard children, forbid advertisements from illegal operators, and provide unambiguous messages about responsible gambling. However, conflicts arise when legal operators are unable to compete due to restrictions, or when attempts are made to equate gambling with alcohol or tobacco without a technical foundation, according to Montero Cárdenas.
What is the ultimate roadmap for industry sustainability?
Montero Cárdenas emphasised the need for a systemic institutional transformation regarding sports integrity. Establishing monitoring systems, reporting and investigation procedures, and encouraging collaboration between operators, Coljuegos, leagues, and federations are all essential to bolstering the integrity ecosystem. Additionally, he highlighted formalisation as a crucial element.
In a statement summarising Fecoljuegos’ agenda, Montero Cárdenas shared his strategic vision with SiGMA News: “To strengthen the industry, it is essential to establish a strict policy against illegality with an omnichannel approach, a strong sports integrity system, a special tax regime based on real income, balanced advertising regulation, and rigorous responsible gambling criteria. These five pillars thus form an interconnected set of reforms.”
Montero Cárdenas underlined that there is a broad technical consensus across these areas; resistance arises when decisions are made based on political calculation rather than evidence. Finally, he reaffirmed his organisation’s institutional commitment: “Fecoljuegos will continue to promote modern, fair, and sustainable regulation to protect legal gambling in Colombia.”
This article was first published in Spanish on 17 December 2025.
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