Colombia’s gaming regulatory body, Coljuegos, has authorized a plan that would bring live-dealer online casinos to the country.
The decision comes in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the global casino industry to come to a standstill. Coljuegos, which launched online gambling in 2017, drew its plans from studies on similar efforts in the United States, the U.K. and Spain. Those studied found that live-dealer iGaming introduces an additional revenue stream but does not cannibalize existing options.
According to reports, Coljuegos will remove barriers to entry into the market by deferring some associated fees for both retail and virtual casinos. Brick-and-mortar operators will be able to pay their March and April fees over a six-month period and will need to temporarily cut the number of gaming devices they offer for the same period. Virtual casinos will still have to make monthly payments for March, April and May, but the fees have been slashed by 50 percent.
In addition, contractually-obligated minimum profit levels or guaranteed gross income contributions will be waived for the balance of 2020.
Rush Street Interactive (RSI) was the first U.S.-based operator to enter the market in mid-2018. Omar Calvo, general manager of RSI Colombia, said he welcomes the move. “NetEnt’s Blackjack and Roulette games are already among the most popular table games on our sites in the U.S., and we know players in Colombia, who appreciate top quality table game content, will love playing these games online at RushBet.co.”
