Colombia follows in Brazil’s footsteps as the country has officially added eSports to the list of legal betting market options, which is in addition to recognizing the sport as an official discipline.
The development comes after an approval from lawmakers and Congress, both of whom voted unanimously to allow Colombians to place bets on popular eSports such as League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and many others.
This news comes after the government cleared any potential procedural issues of Bill 026 and passed the legislation into law in 2024.
Consequently, online sports betting providers from Colombia can now legally offer eSports betting options for Colombian customers, particularly younger enthusiasts who are of legal age, being that they make up the biggest part of eSports bettors in the country.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos, the Colombian gambling regulator, commented on the development and hailed the decision as crucial in the country’s ongoing efforts to stay up to date with the latest technological advancements in the realm of online betting.
Esports already have legislative backing. We know that these sports are the present and the future; that is why we are not going to be left out of these technological advances. These sports will allow us to boost and expand the offer of the online gambling sector that we regulate.
In addition, Bill 026 also allows for eSports to be integrated into the National Sports System of Colombia, which in turn boosts the country’s sports scene and competitiveness on a global level.
Ciro Solano Hurtado, President of the Colombian Olympic Committee (COC), welcomed the decision and said that by adding eSports to the National Sports System, the country will see an influx of young people representing the country on a national level.
We will be able to have many young people practicing what today the International Olympic Committee has already recognized as a sport.
Similarly, GAT CEO José Aníbal Aguirre said that he is pleased with the decision, stating that the future of eSports in the country “was on the right track”.
We have achieved an alliance for the development of esports tournaments in Colombia. We hope to take our cyber-athletes to international championships to represent our country.
