Additionally, $ 7.7 million in prizes were awarded, representing a remarkable 93% rate of return. Next, we review the major trends in the sector.

Legal online gambling grows despite the pandemic
This is, without a doubt, the most relevant data of how many the sector signed in 2020, clearly marked by the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic. As happened in other areas of the Colombian economy, the blow was greater in the first months, when a series of unexpected restrictions were put in place that seriously limited the operation of the sector. The negative data for April and May began to be more than offset in June, a dynamic that took hold in the second half of the year.

Soccer, star category to play
Soccer is the king of sports in all of Latin America and Colombia is not exactly an exception. The users of this country are very much opting for sports betting in this exciting category, taking an interest in competitions that go far beyond national borders or the American continent. European football, without going any further, in whose clubs some of the great figures of the Colombian national team are active, concentrates a not inconsiderable portion of the sports predictions that Colombian users close.

The dominance of soccer in the gaming sector reaches 90% of total user preferences. An authentic hegemony that is consolidated year after year despite the considerable offer that users in the Latin American country already have access to. Tennis and basketball are the next sports that receive the highest number of bets, but obviously they do so at a considerable distance from football events. It is expected that this trend will consolidate in the coming months with the celebration of Euro 2020 and the Copa América, this tournament whose final will be played in Barranquilla.

17 licensed operators
The advancement of the sector is also explained by the growing presence of licensed online casinos in the Colombian market. At this time, 17 platforms operate with full legal guarantees in the country, a figure that implies considerable progress if we take into account that four years before there were only five casinos developing their activity in Colombia. The latest additions took place in December 2020, one of them corresponding to the powerful Betfair group, one of the largest bookmakers on the planet.

Currently, there are no operators awaiting the granting of a license, but there is a strong investment interest in participating in active businesses in the country. This is, at least, the revelation made by César Augusto Valencia Galiano, president of Coljuegos. According to this information, some of the operators that already operate in the country could significantly increase their business lines and their presence on the Internet.

Outlook for 2021
If the data from the last full year have been very positive for the legal online gambling sector, the forecasts for the current year are even more exciting. As a more prominent figure, the exploitation rights could reach the unprecedented figure of 106,100 million dollars, registering a very significant rebound compared to the 94,196 million that were invoiced in 2020. It should be noted that the six figures had never been reached before in Colombia for this concept.

Four years of progress
If we look back a little further, we observe that the growth of the sector has been unstoppable since the approval of the great regulation of legal online gambling in 2016. This legislative project gave legal coverage to the activity of the operators, as well as the maximum guarantees of transparency and security for players. The measure has contributed to creating a very attractive Internet gaming space for the main international platforms and has notably reduced cases of fraud and / or bad practices in general.

More information on this can be found here. Julio César Tamayo, president of Wplay.com, is very clear that the legislative development that the country has experienced in recent years has been decisive in shaping a powerful sector committed to a responsible gaming model. In his opinion, "Colombian regulation is one of the most advanced", an aspect that has made it possible to combine "business growth" with "user protection". And as proof of this, the platform that he runs and that has reached two million accounts.