Bolivia’s Autoridad de Fiscalización del Juego (AJ) authorised 1,226 business promotions in 2025, according to an update provided during a virtual public accountability hearing on 18 March. This is an indication of the persistent demand to operate within a legal framework.
Budget Execution and Authorisations Point to Broader Oversight
The reported total was just part of the regulator’s announcement. According to AJ, it also executed more than 90% of its 2025 budget, with spending directed toward regulating, supervising, and controlling lotteries, gaming activities, raffles, and business promotions across the country.
Bolivia’s gambling industry does not only involve traditional betting and casino activities. The retail lottery segment and promotional campaigns also contribute to the industry footprint. According to the regulator, organisers of gaming promotions and raffles gave out prizes amounting to 573 million bolivianos during 2025.
The update suggests that formal gambling regulation in Bolivia is viewed as an overarching administrative and enforcement process. The AJ presented the authorisation total as a sign that businesses are still choosing to operate within the legal framework.
Illegal Operators Remain a Clear Enforcement Target
Nevertheless, the report indicates that the issue of the black market still exists. During the same period of 12 months, AJ raids were conducted on 82 illegal gambling establishments. The authorities confiscated 119 gambling devices and destroyed 230 gambling machines and other devices that were operating without approval.
The enforcement activity also extended to areas outside the main city centre. Recent action in the surrounding parts of Cochabamba focused on unlicensed venues that had been operating outside regulatory supervision. This enforcement example points to the fact that the regulator is responding to both the obvious areas of high activity and harder-to-monitor segments.
Standardisation and Integrity Questions Stay in Focus
The authority also said that its processes had been certified under ISO 9001:2015 by Colombia’s ICONTEC, based on an external audit. To AJ, this lends credibility to its assertion of an attempt to standardise its regulation and supervision of the sector.
Nevertheless, this authorisation growth doesn’t exclude other integrity risks. For context, the Bolivian football sector has been in the spotlight again after allegations of match-fixing involving players from Club Real Santa Cruz. This sits outside the reported authorisation figures, but it still helps explain the regulator’s focus on control and enforcement.
The challenge for Bolivia is to formalize growth without letting go of market discipline. The reported authorisation total is notable, but the more telling signal is the mix of budget execution, raids on illegal markets, and process certification. That combination suggests that the AJ is attempting to develop a market that is more difficult to exploit.
