The members of the panel were: Fernando Calderon, SONAJA, Miguel Angel Ochoa, AIEJA, Evert Montero, FECOLJUEGOS, Elizabeth Maya, CONAJZAR and Juan Carlos Restrepo, ASOJUEGOS. Alt the beginning of the talk, Chueca made a question about how has it mad impact and what can we expect about the development of online gaming with the impact on land based, as well as about the quantification of the long-term impact of the massive appearance of websites.

Fernando Calderón affirmed: "We have to live with the virus", and added that the impact on traditional casinos was very dramatic since the pandemic started. "Since March 16, casinos have been closed without income. Many operators were resisting, watching over the workers and maintaining the work centers. The vast majority of the premises in the country are leased, there are suppliers that ,as partners , offered equipment that is seen in a cut in the flow of payments and the operator also has to face this situation ". Then he added: "Taxes, benefits and labor rights, in Peru there are no unemployment benefits and the social issue is dramatic."

"In the country the economic reactivation phase began and we consider that we are close. The state is analyzing the protocols for the activities and we hope that in the coming weeks they can begin to authorize or have a clear date of when we will be able to open our doors "He said, adding:" For now, 15% are expected not to open, and when we open, everything will not return to normal, but rather we will have to generate confidence in workers and also in visitors that we comply with all protocols".

Protocols were already approved in Peru. "As operators, we are used to complying with protocols so the road is quite hopeful and it is necessary that the state can activate us if the numbers continue to improve. In the country we have become quite aware that this is an issue that depends on each one of us. The premises are being prepared and by making that effort we will be able to open and the work centers could survive, "he said, and concluded:" We can say that there is a proliferation of websites due to the confinement. I don't know if they have proliferated or if technology has prospered as a result of the crisis, as has happened in other sectors such as payment methods, gastronomy, etc. ".

Evert Montero, FECOLJUEGOS, commented the following: : "In Colombia, the resources generated by games of chance are transferred to the health sector and more than 46 million dollars were not transferred. Today we generate a 40 to 50% of the resources generated before the pandemic; we do not want to go back with the issue of closures but it is a latent issue. "

"We want to go on to look at another impact, which is positive if you want: it is the great possibility and reflection that the issue has left us. Review the operating costs of our operations and review what relief we can have so that the activity can reactivate as it should be. It is also important that this entire sector move from the union to the sectorial, to generate the possibilities that we all strengthen ourselves by pushing for the same side and we became more visible showing that it is an activity that can implement serious measures, which generates employment , energizes the economy ... these are positive impacts. We have always had this problem, which is ignorance of our activity and I think that now it is understood that it is an activity that generates resources, work and that many families depend on it. I think that is a step forward".

Talking about the issue of online gaming, pointed: "Illegality is worse than covid, and Coljuegos did a very important job. The operators have a very good communication with the operator, we pass them reports so that they can see the risks, the complaints reports ... we must highlight the work between the regulator and the operators ".

Then he stressed the importance of the regulator knowing the activity. "It is important that online and land based find meeting points, we cannot fight with technology. We must see how these alliances are made, an interesting game is generated, with creativity and technology. Hopefully we can always build in this activity in a joint way. And the call to regulators and colleagues is that we close ranks in the face of illegality. "

Then it was Ochoa's turn: "In Mexico, regulators last a short time and it is a problem because when you get to know the sector, a new one comes. Today we have 65% of the rooms open compared to the ones we had open in March. Today it has already opened in Mexico City and that will already make them finish opening in the other states. There is now a unit of the Mexican industry that I have never seen, I have been in the sector since 2009 ".

Elizabeth Maya: "As a union leader and representative of both localized and online entrepreneurs, this beginning was quite difficult for us. This new reality imposes a social distancing and decreases opportunities for growth in the industry. But in Colombia we already have 96% of the opening of the landbased and we were able to reactivate all the physical points in the country ".

"The covid has caused a lot of impact in the sector because companies were definitely closed for more than 5 months and without income but they did not stop expenses", adding: "Customers are looking for entertainment and we have to try to give them different tools and opportunities to play to be able to articulate between online and localized game ".

Then she spoke of the role of entrepreneurs. "They managed to do everything in this pandemic. There are fears because we do not know what will happen later, but we are waiting for the industry to become active again and continue to strengthen. We must achieve sustainability in the industry by shaking hands with localized gambling, these Entrepreneurs who have given so much for so many years. Online and landbased businesses can work together, I totally agree. We have done wonderful things from localized gambling, it has proven to comply with its prevention and control of money laundering, gambling halls they committed themselves to responsible gambling. You have to work together with technology, achieve trust and that the physical player can experience online gambling ".

Juan Carlos Restrepo (Asojuegos) commented: "I would believe that the most complex moments have already passed, of course we are expecting what will happen but I would believe that with the good management that the industry is doing of the protocols dictated by the government, it would not have problems keeping open to the future. "

"I would invite all the countries that participate here that it is very important to seek the formalization of online gambling, it should not allow normalization in our countries that there is no formalization. In all countries there should be stability in the regulators, already that makes for the recovery and strengthening of the industry. From a good relationship between the industry and the regulators there will be good profits for the state and businessmen, "he added.

Finally, he stressed that this is an industry that pays taxes, jobs and entertainment, and that gives the opportunity to people of a place of recreation from the virtual and also from the presence.

Final concepts

Ochoa said that online gambling in Mexico is insufficiently regulated, the federal gaming law does not contemplate it, the regulation does, but it is not enough. "Today the only way to make sports betting legal is by joining a permit holder who already has this permission (Caliente, Codere, etc)".

Chueca concluded by assuring that the industry has to improve image projection. "We have an issue of social perception on which we must work, better communicate to society what we are doing, how we contribute and it is essential to understand that both landbase and online are related to each other and there is a joint work to do."