Coljuegos fines Javier Arias Castañeda COP 116 million for unauthorized Instagram raffle

Colombia's gambling regulator Coljuegos said on November 12 that it had fined Javier Arias Castañeda 116 million Colombian pesos for operating and marketing a raffle to the public on Instagram without the agency's authorization.

The administrative penalty, announced in Bulletin No. 039, also requires payment of any moratory interest that accrues under applicable rules. Resolution No. 20260004964 of 2026 further bars Arias from operating games of chance and fortune for five years after the decision becomes final, Coljuegos said.

The regulator said it verified that Arias had no valid authorization to operate raffles and then completed the stages of investigation, formal charges, a written defense and closing arguments. In the same bulletin, Coljuegos said it is still pursuing other proceedings against him, alleging that he has continued to run illegal raffles on social media despite the sanction. It said it had formally reported the alleged offense to the Fiscalía General de la Nación under Article 312 of the Criminal Code, which covers unauthorized operation of games of chance, and invited joint action to protect revenues destined for Colombia's health system.

Coljuegos president Jaime Vives Pinedo said the case "reaffirms Coljuegos' forceful fight against illegality in all forms of games of chance and fortune."

A 2024 Coljuegos statement had identified Arias, also known as Javier Arias Stunt, among influencers and companies under investigation for unauthorized social-media raffles and said two preliminary administrative cases had been opened against him and the companies ACJ Digital Revolution and Javier Arias Stunt SAS. The November 12 bulletin is the official announcement of an administrative sanction and a criminal referral in his case. The agency has also recently expanded its illegal-site blocklist and publicized field seizures after Vives took office.