How the Judicial Police Unit operates in Colombia's gambling sector
Coljuegos has formalised the creation of a Judicial Police Unit that will strengthen the fight against illegality in Colombia’s games of chance and gambling sector. This measure, adopted in October 2025, allows for direct action with specialised functions coordinated by the Attorney General’s Office, aiming to protect key resources for the Colombian health system.
Judicial Unit to fight illegality in gambling
Coljuegos officially established this new structure within the Vice Presidency of Operations, focusing on criminal investigations related to games of chance and gambling. This Unit enables the collection of evidence and ensures the preservation of material proof in investigations, through Resolution No. 20250022644 of 6 October 2025, as previously reported by SiGMA News.
In addition, the Unit possesses a team of officials specialised in controlling illegal operations, legal advice, and technical analysis, with specific training for overseeing illicit activities in the sector. Clear protocols will also be established to enable immediate response to alerts or complaints about irregularities, which previously depended on third parties.
In fact, Coljuegos is able to do technical inspections, digital forensic analysis, interviews, and other specialist operations thanks to the autonomy provided by this Unit. This improves its ability to act and supervise, two crucial components in a sector with intricate dynamics and ongoing technological advancement. According to the regulator, this measure marks a significant advance in operational capability.
Interinstitutional coordination: Judicial Police Unit and the Attorney General’s Office
Furthermore, the Judicial Police Unit will be able to coordinate joint actions with other state entities, especially with the Attorney General’s Office, to defend the state’s monopoly on gambling revenues. These resources are therefore fundamental to financing the subsidised health system that benefits millions of Colombians.
Consequently, the strengthening of judicial control guarantees the protection of critical public funds generated by the regulated industry, preventing tax evasion and counterfeiting. Moreover, this inter-institutional synergy improves the effectiveness of investigations directly affecting sector governance, contributing to a fairer and more transparent system.
Guiding Principles: legality, efficiency, and transparency
The resolution establishing this Unit emphasises principles such as human dignity, impartiality, and efficiency, as well as specialised technical investigation as key priorities. Likewise, the institutional commitment aims at rigorous oversight, higher transparency, and zero tolerance for illegality.
The established protocol outlines precise requirements for evidence preservation, which accelerates and ensures the quality of judicial proceedings.
Regulatory impact of the Judicial Police Unit on the industry
Finally, with this new Unit, Coljuegos reaffirms its leadership and commitment to legality, consolidating the state monopoly and ensuring that resources derived from legal activity translate into tangible social benefits. For example, the ability to perform technical inspections and digital forensic analyses allows more forceful addressing of offences related to gambling.
As a result, this approach represents a step forward in Colombia’s defence of the system and promotion of social welfare. In addition to discouraging illicit activity, this strategy creates an atmosphere that is favourable to conventional company investment, which may contribute to the sector’s economic stability. Indeed, the deployment of these actions is expected to have a positive impact on the perceptions and confidence of businesspeople and regulators.
This article was first published in Spanish on 19 November 2025.
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