With the $61,600 million peso jackpot that was just won in Nobsa, Boyacá, everyone is asking the same questions: if I win the Baloto, how do I actually claim it? Do they hand over the money right away? And how much is really left after taxes? Here is the full picture, step by step.
Step by step: claiming the jackpot
- Guard your ticket like treasure. It must be physical, intact and undamaged (if you played online, print the receipt). The Baloto ticket is a bearer instrument — no ticket, no prize.
- Sign the back of it. Not mandatory, but it protects your prize if the ticket is lost or stolen.
- Contact Fiduciaria de Occidente, Baloto’s official paying entity, to schedule an appointment. It has authorized offices in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla and Bucaramanga only.
- Bring a valid ID (cédula, foreign ID or passport) and fill out the prize payment form.
- Verification and payment. The fiduciary validates the ticket’s authenticity and pays by cashier’s check or bank transfer. It is not instant cash: between the appointment, verification and disbursement, several days go by.
Mind the deadline: you have a maximum of 365 days from the draw date to claim. After that, the prize is forfeited to Colombia’s health sector.
What about smaller prizes?
Smaller prizes (up to 182 UVT, roughly $7.7 million pesos in 2026) are paid directly at the point of sale. Only large prizes go through the fiduciary.
How much does the winner actually keep?
| Advertised jackpot | $61,600 million pesos |
| Occasional gains withholding (20%) | − $12,320 million |
| 4×1000 financial tax (approx.) | − $197 million |
| What the winner receives (approx.) | $49,083 million pesos |
The 20% withholding is deducted automatically at the moment of payment, though the winner will still need to file an income tax return.
Is it true the prize is paid in installments?
Not in Colombia — that is a myth here. Baloto pays the full prize in a single payment. The confusion comes from U.S. lotteries: in Powerball and Mega Millions, the advertised jackpot is a 30-year annuity, and the lump-sum cash option is roughly half. Since LottoAlert also covers those lotteries, it is a difference worth knowing.
The most commonly lost prize is not the jackpot
Every draw leaves secondary prizes — 3, 4 and 5-number matches — unclaimed because people never check their tickets. That one has an easy fix: register your numbers for free on LottoAlert and we email you after every draw telling you whether you won. Played days ago and never checked? Verify in seconds here.
Approximate figures for informational purposes. LottoAlert is an independent tracking, alerts and statistics tool: it does not sell lottery tickets or pay prizes. For claims, use Baloto’s official channels and Fiduciaria de Occidente. Play responsibly!
