Baloto
- Founded
- 2001-01-01 in Bogotá, Colombia
- Headquarters
- Bogotá, Colombia
Baloto is Colombia’s national six-number lottery game, operated as a regulated commercial concession rather than as a direct state-run draw. The game has been part of the Colombian gaming market since 2001 and is currently run by BCI Colombia S.A.S. under a concession awarded by Coljuegos, the country’s gambling regulator. Baloto is best known for its two draw products: the main Baloto draw, held twice a week with a rolling jackpot, and Baloto Revancha, an optional second-chance draw attached to the same ticket with its own separate jackpot. Tickets are sold through both authorised retail points across Colombia and the official online platform baloto.com, giving the operator a genuinely omnichannel sales footprint. A significant portion of Baloto’s revenue is transferred into Colombia’s public healthcare budget, a defining feature of the country’s regulated gambling framework. The brand is headquartered in Bogotá and is frequently cited in government communications as one of the lottery products contributing to those healthcare transfers. Although the consumer-facing brand is universally known as Baloto, the licensed commercial entity behind the current concession is BCI Colombia S.A.S., which has operated the lottery since 2017. In industry databases, Baloto is best classified as an operator because it manages the full retail and online lottery sales process under its own licence.
Detailed Review
History and Legal Structure
Baloto was launched in 2001 as Colombia’s national six-number lottery draw. It operates inside the country’s regulated private gambling sector, where operators hold concessions granted by Coljuegos. The current concession is held by BCI Colombia S.A.S., which took over the operation of Baloto and its companion Baloto Revancha product after a public tender process. Colombian gambling law channels a substantial share of gambling revenue into the public health system, and Baloto is repeatedly referenced in government communications as one of the lottery products contributing to those transfers.
Product and Distribution
The core Baloto game asks players to choose six numbers from 1 to 45, with prize tiers for matching fewer numbers and a jackpot that rolls over when nobody matches all six. Draws are held twice weekly. Baloto Revancha is an optional additional draw attached to the same ticket for an extra fee, with a separate cumulative jackpot. The product is sold through authorised lottery points across Colombia and through the official online platform baloto.com. This combination of physical retail and digital sales is central to the operator’s position in the Colombian market.
Regulatory and Social Contribution
Baloto operates under Colombian gambling law and is supervised by Coljuegos. Its concession structure obliges the operator to transfer a percentage of sales to the public healthcare system. The brand therefore functions simultaneously as a commercial gambling product and as a mechanism for funding Colombian healthcare. This dual role helps explain why Baloto appears in international gaming news coverage, particularly in stories about gambling-derived health transfers.
Strategic Position
Baloto is one of Colombia’s best-known lottery brands, alongside products such as Chance. The operator continues to modernise the offer through online ticket sales and structured jackpot promotions. In database terms, the company is best treated as a lottery operator rather than a B2B supplier, although the corporate vehicle behind the brand, BCI Colombia S.A.S., can also be tracked separately as the licensed entity.
Key Products
Baloto
Colombia’s national six-number lottery draw, held twice weekly with a rolling jackpot and multiple prize tiers.
Baloto Revancha
Optional second-chance draw attached to the same ticket for an extra fee, offering a separate cumulative jackpot.
baloto.com
Official online platform for purchasing Baloto tickets and managing player accounts.
Recent News
Coljuegos: Petro-Era Gambling Transfers Reach COP7.2trn for Health Care
Coljuegos said Colombia's regulated gaming sector transferred COP7.2trn ($2.26bn) to healthcare under President Petro, supporting 6.1 million low-income residents. Online gambling, tax changes, and planned Keno and virtual betting expansion frame the market's outlook.
2026-08-06