Regardless of the affectation that the industry had during the crisis caused by the pandemic, gambling continues to be one of the most solid and profitable sectors in the country, during the first semester of 2021 its reactivation and recovery began on the right foot.
In total, great part of revenues will contribute to the financing of the health system, as established by Law 643 of 2001. Something that is completely remarkable, since the obligations had the businessmen totally strangled and without governmental support, they managed to continue responding to their clients.
José Manuel Restrepo, the new Minister of Finance and Public Credit, assures that "this industry plays an important role in the financing of public health services, complying with its benefit and pension obligations. This contribution meets the constitutional mandate for monopolies to serve a purpose of public and social interest".
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By August 2021, the sector had collected hundreds of million pesos that will be destined to health, a vital figure if the expenses generated by the health emergency are taken into account and which was possible thanks to the contribution of its different modalities: lotteries, permanent betting regime or chance, localized games (casinos and bingos), Baloto and online betting games.
Minister Restrepo explains that in relation to its contribution in matters of employability, economic growth and social development, the challenge is to work in three main axes: "In the first place, the projection to implement the support to the S&M companies, young people and women affected by unemployment and informality; secondly, to promote the economic growth for which the gaming industry will make a very important contribution and, thirdly, to achieve fiscal stability through a social investment project that contributes with the generation of jobs and the reduction of poverty".
César Augusto Valencia, president of Coljuegos, explains that "the gambling sector, in its contribution to the growth of the country, has the implicit social component of generating greater resources to finance health and health research. That is our purpose and reason for being. Thanks to this contribution, together with other efforts, the health system in Colombia has been transformed".
This social component consists, mainly, in guaranteeing the provision of a vital service such as health. Linking the most vulnerable to the system, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, children and adolescents, the important contribution made by the sector to Colciencias should not be overlooked either.
Another important contribution of the sector is the sensitization of users on responsible gaming. Social responsibility policies have sought to consolidate gambling as an entertainment and leisure activity, in order to mitigate any risk to mental health due to problems associated with uncontrolled gambling.
In this way, this sector has sought to contribute to the economic and social development of the country. It has become an activity that has a great social responsibility, because it is not only the resources it generates for health. Each one of the guilds belonging to the gaming sector has social programs associated to foundations, nursing homes, housing construction and food brigades.
The businessman and associations continue seeking to positively impact the national economy, however, the need for public policies to support this operation has never been more necessary, since the initiatives promoted by Coljuegos have only been directed to a fraction of the sector, in spite of the fact that the entity recognizes who are the ones who contribute the most income to the entity.
