Colombia Launches Regulated Keno With Blockchain Ticketing

Colombia began selling keno on April 1 under a new regulatory framework established by national gambling authority Coljuegos, making it the first Latin American country to deploy blockchain technology for lottery ticket issuance in a regulated market.

Four Operators, 26,000 Terminals

Coljuegos awarded concessions to four operators following an open competitive tender. The regulator divided Colombia’s 32 departments into regional operating zones, with Operador Regional de Keno S.A.S. covering Region One, Costa Operador Keno S.A.S. managing Region Two, Keno Región 3 S.A.S. operating Region Three, and Blinkazar S.A.S. running Region Four, which includes Bogotá.

Tickets are available at more than 26,000 sales terminals nationwide. Players select 10 numbers from a pool of 1 to 80, and the system draws 20 numbers at random using a certified Random Number Generator. Ticket prices range from COP 500 (€0.12) to COP 20,000 (€5.75).

Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié described the launch as a significant milestone for the country’s gaming sector.

“We are making history in the industry: for the first time in a long time, Colombians will have a new game that, in addition to contributing to healthcare, will award millions in prizes to bettors. We expect that, in the next five years, this game will reach sales exceeding COP 2.3 trillion and become one of the most popular among Colombians.”

Blockchain Ticketing and Market Integrity

The blockchain component is central to the product’s compliance architecture. Each ticket issued is recorded on a distributed ledger, providing an auditable transaction trail that Coljuegos says will reduce fraud and increase player confidence. The regulator positions this as a first for Latin America’s regulated gambling sector.

The move to regulate keno addresses a long-running grey market problem. The game has been widely available illegally in Colombia for years, and Coljuegos’ framework is designed to channel that demand into the licensed market while directing revenue toward the subsidised health system.

Operators are required to pay between 15% and 17% of sales in exploitation rights, plus 1% in administration fees, with proceeds transferred directly to public health programmes. Coljuegos projects the vertical will contribute approximately COP 500 billion (€118m) to the health system over the next five years. Total sales over the same period are forecast to exceed COP 2.3 trillion.

Context: Colombia’s Regulated Market

Colombia was the first Latin American country to create a regulated online gambling framework, establishing its licensing regime in 2016. Coljuegos has since expanded its enforcement activity alongside market development, recently ordering internet service providers to block Polymarket for operating without authorisation and reporting the seizure of 569 illegal gambling items in early 2025.

The keno launch is the regulator’s most significant product addition since that online framework was introduced. The draw frequency, between 144 and 240 rounds per day, is designed to sustain high player engagement across the terminal network.

Colombia’s subsidised health system received $225 million in gambling contributions during the first half of 2025 alone. Coljuegos’ expansion of the regulated product range is consistent with its mandate to grow those transfers while tightening oversight of the broader market.

The rollout will be closely watched across Latin America, where regulators in Brazil and beyond are navigating their own frameworks for channelling gambling revenue into public funds. Colombia’s blockchain-first approach to keno ticketing sets a technical benchmark that other jurisdictions in the region may reference as they expand regulated product offerings.

Source: Coljuegos