Coljuegos, Colombia’s gambling regulator, has created the Single Registry of Importers and Distributors (RIC) — Registro Único de Importadores y Comercializadores — to control the import of slot machines and combat illegality in Colombia.
Importers and distributors will have 45 calendar days to register with the RIC.
In Colombia, there are about 110,000 slot machines authorized by Coljuegos. Starting in 2026, electronic slot machines must be registered before being imported into the country. According to a Coljuegos press release this will allow “monitoring the destination of these gaming devices and prevent them from being acquired by structures operating without authorization.”
In this regard, Coljuegos issued Resolution 8594 of 2025, which created the Single Registry of Importers and Distributors (RIC). The measure aims to strengthen control over the entry and sale of electronic slot machines.
Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez, president of Coljuegos, stressed that this regulation had long been awaited by the local gaming sector in Colombia.
“The creation of the RIC is fundamental to control the importation and marketing of slot machines that enter the country, and to close the door to illegality that harms the revenues of health,” he stated.
“It is important to note that METS (slot machines) imports exceeded USD 22.5 million in 2024, reflecting the market’s magnitude and the urgency to reinforce oversight,” Hincapié said.
As a result, importers and distributors will have 45 calendar days to register in the RIC, counted from the publication of Resolution 20260001234 of January 26, 2026.
The process must be carried out through the form available on Coljuegos’ website. In addition, 10 days after the merchandise is nationalized, importers must inform the agency of the destination of each gaming element.
“This process will be carried out in coordination with the National Tax and Customs Directorate, DIAN, which will allow validating the imports of slot machines and their components, ensuring that all equipment operating in the country is properly controlled and that resources effectively reach the public health system,” concluded Hincapié.
The news comes in the wake of a huge national crackdown. At the end of January Coljuegos announced that it had destroyed 11,788 items lacking legal authorization to operate. According to a Coljuegos statement this record figure “reinforces the entity’s commitment to protecting the revenues destined for the country’s social security system.”
The agency proceeded with the disablement and destruction of 673 items, including slot machines that were not connected to the control systems of the authority.
The agency also destroyed sports betting modules, terminals used to take bets on unauthorized platforms, as well as bingo elements that evaded exploitation rights payments.
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Coljuegos, Colombia’s gambling regulator, has created the Single Registry of Importers and Distributors (RIC) — Registro Único de Importadores y Comercializadores — to control the import of slot machines and combat illegality in Colombia. Importers and distributors will have 45 calendar days to register with the RIC. In Colombia, there are about 110,000 slot machines…
The post Coljuegos creates registry for importers and distributors of slot machines in Colombia appeared first on G3 Newswire.