Colombia regulator hands out five-year ban for Rappi
Coljuegos clamps down on unauthorised promotional game offering with fine and ban combination
Colombia’s gaming regulator, Coljuegos, has handed a COP78.1m (£14,798) fine and five-year ban to Rappi SAS for offering illegal gambling in the country.
Bogotá-headquartered Rappi was found to have offered its RappiPolla Mundial promotional game without the corresponding authorisation.
Coljuegos said that despite the fact the title was a free-to-enter contest, the lack of authorisation was the overriding decision to implement the fine and ban from offering igaming.
The regulator added the fine would be used to support the Colombian healthcare system and it reaffirmed its position to operators that they must acquire the requisite authorisation before offering content to the market.
Coljuegos noted that it was in the midst of seven other investigations similar to the Rappi case for organisations that have failed to obtain authorisation to offer their games in Colombia.
Between 2020 and 2021, the regulator has authorised nearly 300 promotional games.
Coljuegos said: “Coljuegos calls on companies to request authorisation when making their promotional games.”