Colombia’s gambling regulator signals tougher gambling machine rules

Coljuegos, the national gambling regulator of Colombia, has proposed a draft bill to tighten regulations on gambling machines. These slot machines, known as Máquinas Electrónicas Tragamonedas (METs), play a role in the licensed gambling sector in the South American nation.

For any property to house or offer these machines, there is a process akin to that in most jurisdictions to make records and taxable income transparent to the gambling regulator.

Coljuegos drafting new bill for tighter license regulations

The bill has completed public consultation and has been signed by Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez, the CEO and President of Coljuegos.

According to the draft bill, the most affected by the reform would include casino and MET operators in Colombia, international machine manufacturers/distributors, and the Colombian government through taxation and compliance regimes.

It appears to be an attempt to introduce an “integrated protocol” for gambling license holders that will produce a record of accrued taxes, a breakdown of calculations, and transparent data transfer, especially if a MET on record breaks down.

The Colombian regulator is also playing the devil’s advocate with gambling operators, offering a variable tax rate in exchange for clean, accessible reporting and tax payments. These clean bills of reportage will also include the machines being linked to an electronic system (SCLM+, Colombia’s live monitoring system).

A punitive system will be in place if a holder fails, resulting in a fixed tax rate. This will be triggered if an MET fails to meet certified standards, breaches data transmission processes, or if any irregularities are found in the inventory and record-keeping.

Colombian regulator tough on MET taxation

If the punitive threshold is met, the draft bill states, a review period will be conducted to explore these irregularities.

These can include reasons why the METs are not connected to SCLM, and if devices are showing zero profit or are used to balance a deficit, there may be enforcement measures against the license holder.

The proposed cleanup of the MET framework nationwide is expected to take effect in March 2026.

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