Expanse Studios receives certification for Colombia’s regulated market
Igaming content provider Expanse Studios has expanded its presence in the LatAm market after receiving certification to offer part of its gaming portfolio in Colombia.
According to Expanse Studios, three of its gaming titles were certified by testing laboratory Gaming Associates – Gates of Olympia, Candy’s Bonanza, and Leprechaun’s Wish. These games can be provided through licensed platforms regulated by Colombia’s gambling authority, Coljuegos.
Colombia became the first fully regulated igaming market in LatAm in 2016.
Industry data estimates that the market generated US$1.3 billion in revenue during 2024, with forecasts projecting growth to US$2 billion by 2029, with icasino games and sports betting accounting for most of that total.
Expanse Studios operates in markets across the globe, including LatAm and North America. It has partnerships with more than 1,300 operators and offers more than 70 gaming titles.
“Colombia is one of the most mature regulated markets in Latin America,” Damjan Stamenkovic, Expanse Studios CEO, said in a news release. “Certification here establishes the regulatory foundation we need to scale across the region. The market’s proven that regulated frameworks can work in LatAm – very high player participation shows demand exists when operators can operate legally. That’s the model we’re building toward in other territories.”
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The Backstory
Colombia’s rulebook becomes a regional gateway
Expanse Studios’ certification in Colombia fits into a broader shift in Latin America, where regulated online gambling markets are becoming the main route for suppliers seeking durable growth rather than short-term access. Colombia’s framework, overseen by Coljuegos, has long been treated as a reference point in the region because it created a legal path for online casino and sports betting operators while giving suppliers a defined compliance process.
That matters for content providers such as Expanse, whose ability to place games with licensed operators depends on technical approvals, testing and regulator acceptance. Certification of selected titles gives the company a foothold in a market that has already demonstrated consumer demand and institutional oversight. It also strengthens Expanse’s case with operators elsewhere in Latin America that want suppliers already accustomed to regulated environments.
The timing is significant. Colombia’s online gambling market has grown into one of the region’s most established, and suppliers increasingly view local certification not as an isolated approval but as a credential. In a fragmented region where each jurisdiction sets its own standards, Colombia provides a practical benchmark for companies planning expansion across multiple markets.
Distribution scale meets local compliance
Expanse’s Colombian move follows a push to expand distribution through large aggregation and platform partners. The company previously signed a deal to put its games on Bragg Gaming Group’s HUB platform, a partnership designed to broaden access across more than 30 regulated markets in the Americas and Europe. That agreement gave Expanse a wider route to operators, while Bragg gained additional proprietary content for its network.
The Bragg Gaming distribution agreement with Expanse Studios helped frame the company’s growth strategy: pair original games with established market infrastructure. Aggregators can shorten the path to operators, but regulated markets still require local approvals before suppliers can convert network reach into revenue. Colombia certification therefore adds the regulatory layer needed to make distribution commercially useful in that jurisdiction.
For Expanse, that combination is central. The company already operates across several regions and says it works with more than 1,300 operators. But expansion in mature markets depends less on raw catalog size than on whether games can be offered through licensed channels. Certification helps turn a broad international footprint into country-specific availability.
The Bragg deal also pointed to demand for differentiated formats such as crash games, a category that has gained traction among operators looking to refresh casino lobbies and engage mobile-first players. Colombia’s market, with its established online betting base, gives studios a regulated setting to test how those formats perform under local rules and player preferences.
Coljuegos expands legal supply while policing the perimeter
Colombia’s regulator has been moving on two tracks: authorizing new legal products and restricting unlicensed activity. That dual approach has shaped the commercial environment for suppliers. Companies that complete certification can access a market with legal certainty, while unauthorized platforms face blocking orders and investigations.
Recent enforcement against prediction markets illustrates the point. Coljuegos ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket, saying the platform offered unauthorized betting on electoral events. The regulator argued that the activity met the legal elements of gambling because users risked money on uncertain outcomes for potential prizes. The Coljuegos order to block Polymarket underscored the agency’s position that betting activity requires state authorization.
The enforcement campaign is not limited to one site. Coljuegos has said it has requested blocks on tens of thousands of illegal gambling websites, positioning those actions as protection for licensed operators and for public revenue. In Colombia, gambling proceeds are tied to health care funding, raising the political stakes of market oversight. A supplier entering through certification is therefore joining an ecosystem where compliance is linked not only to consumer protection but also to public finance.
At the same time, the regulator has continued to broaden the authorized product mix. Colombia recently added Keno to its licensing regime through a concession expected to support health care revenue over five years. The Keno concession in Colombia included plans for nationwide sales terminals and blockchain-based ticket issuance, signaling Coljuegos’ interest in both product expansion and transparency tools.
Taken together, those developments show why Colombia is attractive to suppliers. A regulator that blocks illegal competitors while creating new legal channels can make the licensed market more valuable. The trade-off is that companies must clear technical and regulatory standards before participating.
Other studios have followed the same path
Expanse is not alone in treating Colombia as a strategic entry point. Other game developers have pursued certification and operator partnerships there as part of wider Latin America plans. Playson, for example, launched in Colombia after receiving regulatory approval, working with Rush Street Interactive to place its content on a local platform. The Playson launch in Colombia with Rush Street Interactive reflected the same pattern now visible in Expanse’s move: secure approval, partner with licensed operators and use Colombia as a credibility marker for regional growth.
That pattern has commercial logic. Colombia combines a regulated online environment with experienced operators and a player base familiar with digital betting. For suppliers, it offers a proving ground where content performance can be measured under formal rules. Success there can support sales conversations in other jurisdictions, especially as regulators and operators across Latin America look for partners with compliance experience.
Competition, however, is intensifying. As more suppliers enter, certification alone may no longer be enough to stand out. Operators will weigh game performance, localization, promotional tools, platform reliability and responsible gambling features. Studios with scalable distribution and a clear compliance record may have an advantage, but they still need content that can gain visibility in crowded casino lobbies.
That raises the stakes for Expanse’s certified titles. Gates of Olympia, Candy’s Bonanza and Leprechaun’s Wish give the company an initial Colombian portfolio, but long-term growth will depend on how quickly it can deepen the catalog, integrate with operators and tailor offerings to local demand.
Brazil adds pressure to move quickly
Colombia’s role as a regional benchmark is becoming more important as Brazil’s regulated market accelerates. Brazil launched its new framework at the start of the year and has drawn interest from technology providers, sportsbooks, casino suppliers and data companies. The scale of Brazil’s population and betting demand has made it the region’s most closely watched opportunity, but it has also increased pressure on suppliers to prove they can meet local standards.
Recent certification activity in Brazil shows the direction of travel. Bejoynd received approval for its BE Core platform, positioning the technology for use by operators in the regulated market. The Brazil certification for Bejoynd’s igaming platform highlighted the importance of compliance-ready infrastructure, local payments and operational controls in newly regulated jurisdictions.
For companies such as Expanse, Colombia and Brazil are connected by strategy even if their rules differ. Suppliers need to show they can pass certification, work with licensed operators and adapt to local requirements. A Colombian approval does not guarantee access elsewhere, but it supports a broader narrative of regulatory readiness.
Latin America’s regulated gambling sector is moving from early opportunity to structured competition. Governments want tax revenue, consumer safeguards and control over illegal operators. Licensed operators want content that can be deployed without regulatory friction. Suppliers want scale but must earn it market by market. Expanse’s Colombia certification sits at that intersection, giving the company a legal entry point in one of the region’s most established markets and a stronger platform for its next phase of expansion.
