Illegal Betting Colombia. The Internet is the site where millions of pesos ( COP´s) are moved around illegal bets in Colombia. There are at least 200 sites identified in Colombia that offer a wide range of virtual bets that are not regulated by Coljuegos, are a kind of 'lockers' where fans put in play sums ranging from 5,000 COP´s to 3 million.
Both Coljuegos and the police are behind the trail of at least 418 of these places that produce about 600,000 million COP´s of which there is no trace and rather are believed to be used by the mafia to launder currencies due to drug trafficking.
Indeed, a recent coup ended with the capture of several men, including one of Italian origin, who were part of a criminal network known as the 'Pijaosports'.
These illegal betting networks are very popular and have increased their existence in the principal cities of the country
They know no limits in their actions and in most cases escape from the control of the authorities until the point of being true centers of fraud that are administered by criminals, that can influence the results of the matches.
Antioquia the mecca of this business
In the Colombian case, drug trafficking enters to play a significant role. "The variable in Colombia is that mobsters use bets to wash their fortunes, just as they have historically done with casinos, lotteries and the chance," said a Colombian researcher.
And he recalled that, in 2000, extradited capo José María Ortiz was left with the contract of Superastro Millionaire, which recorded operations for 1.8 billion pesos per year.
In addition, ex-officials of the defunct Territorial Health Company (Etesa) confirmed that casino owners and soccer in Antioquia are linked to the mafia, also sought to appropriate the Ganagol, which in the end were handed over to foreign investors.
But now there is a fresher trail in these types of bets: the one of the 'Envigado´s office', the criminal drug trafficking apparatus. "In addition to investing in player and team passes, they launder illicit fortunes in games of chance, and bets are no exception," said the researcher.
In fact, for three years, Interpol agent Julie Norris asked Colombian authorities to penalize manipulation of football matches. The request was raised as part of a workshop, sponsored by FIFA, against illegal gambling and corruption in football.
There are known threats to referees in Colombia and the fixture of matches in foreign leagues like the Italian
