• Colombia’s gaming trade association, Fecoljuegos, has formally requested that the national regulator, Coljuegos, take immediate action to block the prediction market platform Polymarket.
• The complaint alleges that Polymarket is offering illegal betting in Colombia without a licence, specifically highlighting a popular market on the outcome of the 2026 Colombian presidential election.
• Fecoljuegos President Evert Montero Cárdenas warned that allowing unregulated betting on elections could “interfere with the free development” of the democratic process.
• The election market on Polymarket, which operates using cryptocurrency, has already attracted over $125,000 in betting volume from users.
• The move puts significant pressure on Coljuegos to act against the platform, which has already been blocked in other countries like Belgium and Australia for unlicensed online gambling.

Industry Sounds Alarm Over Illegal Election Betting

London, UK - 29th September 2025 - Colombia’s regulated online gambling industry has called on the national gaming authority, Coljuegos, to block the US-based prediction market Polymarket, accusing the platform of offering illegal betting and posing a direct threat to the country’s democratic integrity.

The formal complaint, lodged by the Colombian Federation of Gaming Entrepreneurs (Fecoljuegos), centres on Polymarket’s active market on the outcome of the 2026 Colombian presidential election. The trade body argues that the platform is operating without a local licence and is failing to adhere to any of the country’s legal controls, such as age verification or responsible gaming policies.

A Threat to Democratic Integrity

Fecoljuegos has framed the issue not just as a commercial threat, but as a danger to the country’s political process. “ Our greatest concern is that betting on electoral events or electoral activities is being allowed,” said Evert Montero Cárdenas, president of Fecoljuegos. “ Ultimately, this could interfere with the free development of these electoral events.”

The market in question has already attracted significant interest, with data from Polymarket’s own website showing a total betting volume of over $125,000 to date. Fecoljuegos warned that such markets could be used for “electoral manipulation and misinformation.”

A Familiar Story for Polymarket

This is not the first time the crypto-based prediction market has run into conflict with national regulators. Polymarket’s model, which uses cryptocurrency and operates in a grey area between finance and gambling, has faced restrictive measures in a number of countries.

It has been blocked in nations like Belgium and Australia for violating local online gambling laws that require a licence to operate. The platform’s use of cryptocurrency is a key concern for authorities, as it can hinder financial traceability and allow for anonymous betting.

A Test for Coljuegos and the Regulated Market

Fecoljuegos’s complaint now puts the regulator, Coljuegos, in the spotlight. The licensed industry is effectively asking its regulator to defend the integrity of the market they pay taxes and licence fees to be a part of. The trade body’s statement also serves to differentiate the legal sector-which it says “contributes to social welfare by providing resources to health systems and ensuring user safety”-from the black market.

For the online gambling industry in Colombia, this is a critical test case. The regulator’s response to this high-profile instance of illegal election betting will send a strong signal about its commitment to enforcing its rules and protecting the licensed market from unregulated offshore competition.