Colombia’s national gaming regulator, Coljuegos, has issued a formal declaration of illegality regarding a high-profile raffle organized by presidential candidate Santiago Botero.
The initiative, which offered COP 25 million split among five winners, has been flagged as an unauthorized gambling operation under strict national laws.
Monopoly on Fundraising via Games of Chance
In Colombia, the state maintains a monopoly on all games of chance to ensure revenue is funneled directly into the national healthcare system. Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos, stressed that no political campaign currently has the authorization to utilize raffles for fundraising.
Marco Emilio Hincapié provided a blunt warning to all candidates, particularly Santiago Botero:
“We want to make it clear to the citizenry and to those aspiring to the presidency: raffles and other promotional activities are regulated, and they form the monopoly that makes it possible to allocate resources to finance the health system. None of the campaigns have asked us for authorization, and we are here to make sure you understand the necessity of compliance with this requirement.”
Strict Rules on Cash Prizes
The regulator also noted that under Law 643 of 2001, raffles are generally prohibited from offering cash as a prize, except in highly specific regulated circumstances. Hincapié urged the public to abstain from participating in any draw that lacks the official resolution number and government stamp.
“We ask citizens to abstain from participating in any draw in case the official stamp of the entity and the resolution number of authorization are missing. We also call for non-permissibility of the misuse of games of chance during election time. The protection of the resources of our healthcare system is everybody’s business.”
