Bolivia gambling regulator tackles illegal online bingo
Bolivia’s gambling regulator, the Gaming Control Authority (AJ), has taken action against illegal online bingo operations being conducted via TikTok and messaging platforms. Five companies, including Bingo Viral Bolivia and Bingo B.T.K, ran unlicensed bingo draws, selling virtual bingo cards or numbers via WhatsApp and accepting payments through QR-based bank transfers. Ticket prices ranged from a minimum of BOB 5 (≈ £0.53) to over BOB 100 (≈ £10.73).
The AJ criticized these operations as a “micro-scam” model: low-priced tickets make losses seem negligible to participants, reducing resistance to involvement. They also flagged that the software used lacked adequate security or randomness standards, enabling potential manipulation.
