Fecoljuegos develops alternative tax proposal for Colombia rescue bill

The Colombian Federation of Gaming Entrepreneurs, known as Fecoljuegos, is working on a technical proposal that examines the Economic Rescue Bill the government presented on October 29. Fecoljuegos president Evert Montero said the proposal calls for deeper study before it moves forward in the legislative process.

The initiative aims to boost investment and jobs while addressing public finances. The federation also objects to online betting platforms and land-based gambling establishments facing identical taxes. In its official statement, the organisation said it is drafting an alternative taxation framework that accounts for each sector's economic and operational features. Fecoljuegos said cost structures differ greatly between online and land-based gambling operators.

Montero said the government must increase its public finances but that the bill should be open to discussion and technical changes. He said: "We need fair, well-founded and proportionate taxation that allows the country to make a fiscal effort without compromising business continuity." The federation believes tax should rest on the reality of licensed businesses' operations, which must maintain financial sustainability, rather than on expected revenue alone.

Fighting illegal gambling features prominently in the review that Fecoljuegos is proposing. According to the federation, taxation ought to distinguish licensed sites from unlawful ones, creating fair competition and protecting the funds that legal gambling contributes to Colombia's public healthcare.

Fecoljuegos plans to hold talks with Finance Ministry officials and Congress's economic committees, where it will set out its concerns and alternatives. Montero said: "We want to build a solution that helps the country while preserving legal business activity."