Colombia ranks 22nd for online gambling participation in GWI study

Colombia ranked 22nd worldwide for online gambling participation, according to a GWI survey published by DataReportal. The survey found that 13.8% of Colombian internet users aged 16 or older had taken part in online gambling. The figures come from GWI's second-quarter 2025 research, published in DataReportal's Digital 2026 Global Overview Report.

South Africa led the ranking with a participation rate of 32.3%, followed by Norway at 31.2% and Greece at 25.8%. Brazil and Chile were the other South American countries in the top 30. The study measures online gambling participation among internet users aged 16 or older, so the percentages do not represent the total population of each country.

The report said the global online gambling market generates revenue of between $105bn and $121bn, citing the UK Gambling Commission and US state commissions. That represents between 39% and 42% of global gambling spending, according to the report.

Coljuegos, Colombia's gambling regulator, reported that gambling-sector receipts reached COP977.2bn through August 2026, an increase of 39.38% compared with the same period in 2025. Online sports betting accounted for COP473.023bn of that total, with receipts up 84.24% over the first eight months of the year, a period that included the 2026 football World Cup.

Coljuegos also said it has transferred COP7.2tn to the subsidised health system since 2022. Internet-operated games contributed about COP1.76tn in direct transfers to health, plus about COP1.3tn in VAT allocated to promoting peace in territories affected by the conflict, according to the regulator.