Jaime Vives Pinedo takes the helm of Coljuegos with illegal gambling and the digital market among his great challenges

Businessman Jaime Vives Pinedo has been appointed as the new president of Coljuegos, the entity in charge of administering, regulating and supervising games of luck and chance in Colombia.

Vives Pinedo replaces Marco Emilio Hincapié in the position and arrives at the regulatory body after developing a good part of his professional career in the business sector of the department of Magdalena.

His appointment places at the head of Coljuegos a profile from the private sector at a time marked by the growth of the digital market, the fight against illegal supply and the need to guarantee the resources that the activity contributes to the Colombian health system.

From the business sector of Magdalena to Coljuegos

A native of Santa Marta, Vives Pinedo has participated in different business initiatives and union spaces in the region.

The new president was linked to the Biocosta Group and the Santa Marta Chamber of Commerce for Magdalena, where he appears as a member of its Board of Directors on behalf of Biocosta Green Energy S.A.S.

His arrival means the passage from the private sector to the national public administration and places him at the head of a strategic entity for the operation of the Colombian land-based and online gaming industry.

The appointment was advanced by Colombian media such as Caracol Radio.

Control of illegal gambling and supervision of operators

Among the main challenges of the new presidency is the strengthening of actions against establishments, machines and platforms that operate without authorization.

Vives Pinedo will also have to guarantee compliance with the regulatory and contractual obligations of authorized operators, both in the face-to-face and digital channels.

The evolution of online betting and gaming will require maintaining vigilance over international platforms that offer their services in Colombia without authorization, as well as strengthening the technological mechanisms of inspection and blocking.

Another challenge will be to preserve a balanced playing field for legal operators, who must assume taxes, exploitation rights, technical controls and player protection requirements.

The collection destined for health, a priority

Coljuegos administers the rent-seeking monopoly of games of luck and chance at the national level. An essential part of its function is to collect and transfer to public health the resources generated by exploitation rights and other concepts associated with the activity.

The agency reported in May that during the period between 2022 and 2026 it had transferred 4.01 trillion Colombian pesos to the subsidized health regime. This amount represented 44.46% of the 9.2 billion contributed by the sector since the creation of Coljuegos in 2012, according to the official balance sheet of the entity.

The new presidency will have to maintain the growth of collection by strengthening the regulated market, supervising operators and reducing illegal activity.

A key stage for the Colombian market

Jaime Vives Pinedo assumes the management of Coljuegos with competencies that cover localized games, betting and games operated by the internet, Baloto, Super Astro, KENO, national raffles and promotional games.

Its management will have to combine regulatory control with technological modernization, legal certainty for operators and the development of a market capable of continuing to generate resources for health.

The industry is now waiting to know the composition of its team, its regulatory priorities and the first decisions of a stage that begins with illegal gambling and digital supervision among its most urgent issues.