Key points:
- CNJSA audits Medellín Lottery after COP 16bn jackpot was awarded to the Deputy Manager's wife, prompting resignation
- The investigation focuses on draw transparency, timing of the winner announcement and potential conflict-of-interest violations
Colombia’s National Council for Games of Luck and Chance (CNJSA) has announced a special audit of the Medellín Lottery, following controversy over a recent jackpot win in a draw commemorating Mother’s Month.
The audit comes amid public outcry after the COP 16bn ($4m) top prize was awarded to Luisa Jaramillo – the wife of Rubén Callejas, then-Deputy Manager of the Medellín Lottery.
The announcement of the jackpot winner came almost immediately during the draw’s official broadcast, raising concerns about transparency and the integrity of the process.
Within hours of the controversy surfacing on social media and in the press, Callejas submitted his resignation. He has not yet issued a public statement regarding the matter.
In response to the growing scrutiny, CNJSA officials, led by Vice President of Organizational Development and Technical Secretary Roberto Conde Romero, will travel to Medellín to conduct the audit. The team’s work has been authorised by Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez.
The audit will focus on clarifying the procedures and conditions surrounding the draw.
Good to know: The case has drawn national attention, including a public comment from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who posted on his X account: “Disciplinary and criminal authorities must provide us with information,” alongside images of the couple
This development comes shortly after Coljuegos intensified its enforcement actions against illegal gambling operations.
In recent weeks, 96 unauthorised gaming devices were confiscated across the departments of Quindío and Santander, with the regulator estimating that such illegal machines annually divert hundreds of millions of Colombian pesos away from healthcare contributions.
