The Paraguayan Association of Entertainment and Gaming (APEJ) has been formed

The Paraguayan Entertainment and Gaming Association (APEJ) was born with the firm objective of driving and promoting activities, studies and research on topics considered of interest for the improvement, modernization and optimization of games of chance operated by his associates. As a main aspect, the new guild intends to generate constant information about the contribution of the item to the national economy, as well as the destination that the State gives to the income it receives and comes from the payment of royalties for the exploitation of tax games of chance. Compliance with codes of good practice, responsible gaming and corporate social responsibility will also be promoted by the association.

The APEJ will not only be a trade union of companies, but an association that will seek to qualify and generate technical information about the new regulations in the field and regulatory trends worldwide. All this, seeking to seal strategic alliances with national and international organizations that share the same objectives. The monitoring and active participation in the discussion about the adoption of public, legislative and regulatory policies for the regulation and control of games of chance by the State, the central administration, the governorates and the municipalities of the country will be a priority for the Asociation.

Founding companies
The founding companies of APEJ are Vimerica S.A., Tecnología Para el Desarrollo de Paraguay (TDP) and Daruma Sam S.A. These operate in the market under the trade names of Solbet, Quiniela and Aposta.La, respectively. From the moment of its formation, the association will incorporate more companies in the field. The main goal of the APEJ is the widest collaboration and exchange of information among its members.

In this first stage, the union will focus on creating Special Technical Commissions in the legal, economic, commercial, computer, telematic, administrative, prevention of asset laundering, communications and any other fields that may be necessary for the treatment and study of all issues related to the exploitation of games of chance that, at the discretion of the board of directors, were necessary to promote the development of the item.

Within this framework, the associated companies have committed their permanent dedication to strengthening the APEJ, as well as providing it with the resources and structure needed to promote these investigations. Within the continuous improvement plan for the sector, they will develop courses, meetings, seminars, congresses, conferences, fairs, exhibitions, working groups, special meetings, conferences and colloquiums and will promote the coordination of these activities in order to exchange information and experiences. between entity members.

The association wants to work side by side with the Government, being an ally of CONAJZAR, SEPRELAD and other State entities that strengthen standards for the sector, turning its best efforts to obtain access to the financial system for companies in the sector. due to the lack of clear rules that avoid discrimination in the sector in access to banking products and services.

Members of the Board of Directors
The first board of directors is made up of Rodrigo Iturralde (Vimerica) as president; Fernando Ribeiro (Aposta.La) as Vice President; José Morínigo (Quiniela) as secretary.

The association will be accompanied by one of the main references in the sector, the lawyer Javier Balbuena, who has a Master's Degree and a Doctorate in Law, both specializations, on issues related to the field of the regulation of Games of Chance, itself. In addition, Balbuena has vast experience in the national and international arena. In recent years, he has published books, articles and research that strengthened the development of the field.

Among the books of his authorship are "Sanctioning Power of the State", "State Policy and Games of Chance in Paraguay" and "Game is not a Game", the latter, launched in 2022. The aforementioned professional presided over the National Commission of Games of Chance (Conajzar) from 2013 to 2018 and at the same time he was elected as Secretary General of the Ibero-American Corporation of State Lotteries and Bets (CIBELAE).