Coljuegos Names New President
Coljuegos, the official gambling overseer for the Latin American country of Columbia, has appointed a new president after the exit of César Augusto Valencia. The new president, named by Columbia’s federal government, is Roger José Carrillo Campo. Carillo will take over his duties starting mid-January.
Colombian gaming authority Coljuegos will have a new president this month. Random Institute/Unsplash
A president steps down
Coljuegos — otherwise known as the Industrial and Commercial Company of the State Administrator of the Rent Monopoly of the JSA — had a lot on its plate at the end of 2022, thanks to the sudden resignation of former president César Augusto Valencia. This was compounded by normal duties that face gaming operators at the end of the calendar year, including a trend of increases in gaming and yearly reports to be made public.
Valencia shared that he was leaving his post for entirely personal reasons. He said it was also impossible for him to continue and that there was no way he would be reconsidering the decision in the future. Officially, his duties are scheduled to end on January 11, 2023, according to the regular process of Coljuegos.
However, the group was quick to achieve a new presidential appointment, thanks to urging by Fecoljuegos, the Colombian Federation of Gaming Entrepreneurs, which works closely with Coljuegos regarding Colombia’s gaming industry. The government, headed by Gustavo Petro, responded with haste and appointed a new president to take over in the first weeks of the new year.
This new president, Carillo, will be in charge of what is Colombia’s sole administrator for games. The public company oversees all games of chance, both in the digital and non-digital realms, and also reported record-breaking income in 2022 thanks to several factors. This increase is likely due to a return to normalcy after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, as well as new forms of gaming which have emerged in recent years.
Evert Moreno Cárdenas, president of Fecoljuegos, was dedicated to creating a smooth process for the new appointment of the position. He sent a statement to Colombia’s executive branch urging for an expedient appointment, on behalf of businesspeople in the gaming industry. He shared how important it was to those in the industry to have this post sorted without delay.
Carillo, the incoming leader, is a member of Colombia’s Conservative Party, unlike President Petro who is considered the country’s first left-wing president. Carillo has a background not only as a politician but also as a writer and economics expert. He has been a member of the Bogotá Council as well as leader of the Institute of Social Security. Carillo has also had various positions within the Colombian federal government.
Coljuego’s record year
Coljuegos has yet to share official reports for 2022, since the year ended just a week ago, but its initial findings from 2022 have been positive. In reports from January to October 2022, Colombia’s number of bets increased by 52% in comparison to the same time period in the previous year. This amount added up to a total of $11,342,027 USD. The period also saw an increase in licensing for new providers.
Brick-and-mortar sales grew by 46% compared to the previous year, while online gaming sales increased by 66% and brought in $4,370,322 USD. Valencia attributed the gains in part to the recent World Cup in Qatar, which indeed prompted a record number of bets worldwide, and particularly in the Latin American region.
