Colombia to allow international liquidity sharing
Local regulator also reveals plans to allow live casino and virtual sports for the first time
Colombia has proposed sweeping changes to its online gaming regulations, including allowing international shared liquidity on poker and exchange betting for the first time.
The country’s regulator Coljuegos issued a consultation document on Friday, outlining the proposals, which would also authorise live casino games, virtual sports and keno games.
Coljuegos said the changes were a response to consultation with “interested parties”, and would make the market “even more competitive”.
Stakeholders have until 20 November to respond to the document.
The regulator also noted the trend towards open liquidity pools in other regulated markets, including the Southern Europe agreement between Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.
The news will be welcomed by international operators, with firms like PokerStars claiming the closed liquidity pool was one of its main reasons for withdrawing from the market when it officially opened in June.
PokerStars said at the time: “Colombia would be the smallest segregated poker market in the world by player count, inclusive of individual US states. It makes local licensing untenable for us.”
The addition of live casino and virtual sports to the market will also boost revenues, with live casino traditionally attracting higher stakes, while virtual sports allows operators to offer a 24/7 menu of betting.
Coljuegos has so far issued five licences for the regulated market – all to local or Spanish gaming operators.
Ladbrokes could be the first UK firm to enter the market through its Spanish-language joint venture Sportium.