The Colombian government has the country on strict lockdown in response to rising Covid-19 cases. The restrictions will keep the land-based gaming industry on pause for the foreseeable future; casinos and gaming venues in the country were closed for most of 2020 after initially shutting down in March.
According to iGamingBusiness.com, they were subsequently permitted to reopen subject to approval from local authorities provided they complied with Colombia’s Ministry of Health’s safety protocols, including physical barriers between gaming machines, a ban on food and alcoholic sales and regular disinfection of machines. Medellín was the first city to reopen its casinos in September.
On December 31, the strict lockdown was reinstated and in some regions is expected to remain in force at least until January 28, with only a strictly limited set of activities permitted.
In order to keep crowds from forming, in some areas people may only leave the house on certain days based on the last digit of their ID number.
