José Aníbal Aguirre and Alexandra Hernández will make their work agenda available to serve new and traditional clients at stand MC42 at Fira Barcelona, ​​from January 20 to 22. As directors of the most productive and influential events in Latin America and the Caribbean, they will share details of GAT Expo's journey through Latin American territory in 2025 and the multiple participation opportunities offered by its events.

GAT Events Calendar:

GAT Expo Cartagena, April 28, 29, 30, Las Americas Convention Center, Colombia
GAT Expo San Juan, June 26, San Juan Racetrack, Puerto Rico
GAT Expo Mexico, August 28, 29, Expo Santa Fe, Mexico City, Mexico
GAT Expo Bogota, September 18, Marriott Salitre Hotel, Colombia
GAT Expo Santo Domingo, November 6 and 7, Renaissance Jaragua Hotel & Casino, Dominican Republic.

GAT Latest News

GAT Expo San Juan, PR

The organization will debut on June 26 with an exclusive trade show at GAT Expo San Juan, thus expanding the reach of GAT events in the Caribbean and the Antilles.

José Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT, comments: “Last September at GAT Santo Domingo, we had the opportunity to exchange views with the executive director of the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission, Juan Carlos Santaella Marchán. We then learned that online gaming and sports betting have been regulated activities in Puerto Rico since 2019, within a legal framework that guarantees transparency. Currently, a regulatory update for slots is underway that will provide greater security for both operators and players.”

Aguirre adds: “Given the atmosphere of commercial understanding that exists between the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Republic, companies and brands based in the Dominican Republic such as Raza Carreras will be the main actors of GAT Expo San Juan, which, given the enormous interest and activity in horse sports, we have decided to hold at a large racetrack in the capital of Puerto Rico. The novelty then is the invitation to suppliers and operators interested in entering and finding business opportunities on the Island of Enchantment, to meet us on Thursday, June 26th for a unique day of exhibition stands.”

The organization refers that the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission formally announced at the beginning of this month that the procedure for the implementation of the Regulation for the Issuance, Management and Inspection of Roadside Gambling Machines is in progress, which will allow reducing the cost of operating licenses for slots that use cutting-edge technology and the renewal of licenses. In social terms, the tax collection for this concept will be applied to the entity in charge of the withdrawal of the Police from the island.

GAT Expo CDMX and Latin American Summit of Gaming Associations

At the end of November 2024, the closing of the GAT events took place in Cancun and constituted the launch of GAT Expo Mexico, which was set to take place in 2025 in CDMX, on August 28 and 29, again in collaboration with AIEJA.

GAT Cancun greatly motivated the Mexican gaming industry, which has not had in-person fairs for 12 years and is experiencing a period of development marked by the digital revolution of online gaming and the aim of achieving a new fundamental law to replace the 1947 regulations.

Among the notable conclusions of the series of conferences held in Cancun, it was proposed to hold the Latin American Summit of Gaming Associations within GAT Expo Mexico, in order to achieve a meeting point for the associations that lead in each country the dialogue with governments and the defense of the interests of operators to promote regulations with common objectives in favor of legality, an orderly growth of the sector in their respective countries and to encourage corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions.

 This proposal led by José Aníbal Aguirre was welcomed by Miguel Ángel Ochoa, President of AIEJA, an allied entity of GAT in Mexico, Yamile Gutiérrez, delegate of ADOBAD RD and Fernando Calderón, President of SONAJA Perú, who offered to join this initiative in favor of the unity of the sector, making an extensive call to all associations of an economic sector so important for the jurisdictions of Latin America.

In this regard, José Aníbal Aguirre recalls: “In our long history, we have held three regional association summits with the participation of high representatives of unions from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic , Panama, Peru and Paraguay, mainly. I remember that in 2013, in Lima, with the extraordinary support of Cristina Sierralta of SONAJA, its board of directors, social organizations and Manuel San Román (RIP), then Mincetur gambling authority, we achieved a consensus of wills in an event that contributed to the creation of awareness and actions to develop Corporate Social Responsibility tasks. This will be one of the topics that we will discuss in depth at the Latin American Summit of Gambling Associations, as we welcomed the idea of ​​intensifying CSR campaigns in Mexico, in the development of the AIEJA assembly in Cancun.”

The growing gaming ecosystem and its new players

The gaming ecosystem continues to grow and this is why multiple companies interested in making themselves known and sharing their technological and innovative offering are coming to GAT Events to show developments in payment methods and platforms, cybersecurity, casino management, impact, opportunities and risks of AI, among other topics that enrich networking opportunities and new businesses.

Business expansion

GAT organization has also been expanding its business lines and this is how for four consecutive years it has ventured into electronic sports, with academic days and in-person and virtual Counter Strike and Valorant tournaments, an exercise that will be repeated at GAT Expo Cartagena at the end of April, with the support of the Colombian Olympic Committee and Colombian Official eSports. One of the priorities of the GAT team at Fira Barcelona will be to attend a specific meeting on the topic of eSports Latam, convened by William Harding, Head of Esports at Clarion Gaming.

To conclude, José Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT, notes: “The fact that ICE is being held this year in Barcelona, ​​on Spanish territory and with such deep cultural ties to our Latin roots, sends a message and is a historic event that encourages us to continue working for the integration and legality of the gaming industry in the region. Thanks again to ICE and Liliana Costa for their hospitality and dedication to the cause.”

To make an appointment at ICE Barcelona, ​​write to: marketing@gatexpo.net, info@gatexpo.net