Poker in Colombia — live rooms, the Winner Poker Series and how it is regulated

Colombia has one of the most active live poker scenes in Spanish-speaking South America, and it is unusually concentrated: the Casino Hollywood rooms in Medellín, Bogotá and Cali carry most of the country's tournament calendar, and one circuit — the Winner Poker Series — supplies most of the big guarantees. The next stage runs in Medellín from 21 October to 2 November 2026 with COP 2.2 billion guaranteed across the festival.

Who regulates gambling in Colombia?

Games of chance in Colombia are regulated nationally by Coljuegos, the state body that licenses operators and collects the levies that fund the country's subsidised health system. As of late September 2026 Coljuegos reports 426 legal operators. Colombian casinos are therefore licensed businesses rather than a grey market, which is why the live tournament calendar is public and the guarantees are advertised openly.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, and your own tax position depends on your circumstances — check with Coljuegos or a qualified adviser for anything that matters to you.

Where the live poker is

Three rooms carry the scene, all operated under the Casino Hollywood brand by Winner Group Cirsa:

- **Casino Hollywood Medellín** — on Avenida El Poblado, the stretch locals call the Milla de Oro. Probably the busiest poker room in the city, and the venue for the largest festivals, including the Winner Poker Series and the Abierto Panamericano. - **Casino Hollywood Bogotá** — the capital's principal live venue and the historic home of the Winner Poker Series, where the circuit set its record Colombian guarantees. - **Casino Hollywood Cali** — the third room in the group's Colombian network.

The Winner Poker Series

The Winner Poker Series is the country's flagship circuit. The fourth stage of 2026 runs at Casino Hollywood Medellín from 21 October to 2 November, with COP 2,200,000,000 guaranteed across the festival and a Main Event at COP 2,200,000 guaranteeing COP 800,000,000 on its own. The schedule around it is deep: an NLH High Roller at COP 3,000,000 with COP 300,000,000 guaranteed, a Mini High Roller PLO knockout at COP 1,400,000 guaranteeing COP 70,000,000, a Second Chance Mystery Bounty guaranteeing COP 180,000,000, and satellites from COP 85,000 upwards feeding every one of them. The third stage played in Bogotá in August 2026.

If you are travelling for one of these, the satellites are worth knowing about: the Main Event satellites run at COP 230,000 and the High Roller satellites at COP 310,000, both with re-entry, which is a substantially cheaper route in than the direct buy-in.

Playing responsibly

Poker is entertainment and a game of skill played for stakes — it is not an income, a way out of debt or a route to a different life, and nobody should treat it as one. Set a budget before you sit down and stop when you reach it. Colombia has official gambling-help lines; if play stops being fun, use them.