PGS reopens under traditional dates, featuring doubled exhibition area and a focus on online regulation

Peru Gaming Show (PGS), one of the major trade events in LatAm, launches its 19th edition today. The summit opens its doors on its traditional June dates for the first time since the pandemic began, featuring an exhibition area that has doubled in size to more than 5,000 m2 (53,800 sq. ft.). The event will be held at the Jockey Convention Center, in the Surco district of Lima, today and on Thursday (June 15-16). 

A special emphasis will be put on the ongoing regulatory debate at the Peruvian Congress on online gambling and sports betting. Eduardo Sevilla Echevarría, who in March became the new director of the General Directorate of Casinos and Slot Machines, will be in charge today of the inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony, at 10.30 a.m. local time.

“The preparation week has been amazing. All those who approached the show have been left in awe at the size and scale of the event,” PGS organizers stated in a press release, ahead of the opening. “All our supporters and market leaders have been ready for a long time now to showcase their clients their latest innovations and prove their commitment to service.”

Over 50 brands, local and global, will be part of this new edition, which is backed by local bodies Peru's National Gaming Society (SONAJA), the Peruvian Association of Online Sports Betting (APADELA), and Peru's Association of Tourism and Entertainment Centers (ATCE). “We expect attendance of 500 participants or more,” event organizers anticipated in a statement.

“PGS 2021, which was held last December, was the beginning and the first step toward a re-encounter and, thereafter, made us look toward the future in search of reactivation,” Rubén Solórzano, general manager of the Affiliated Marketing Group (AMG) and one of the organizers of the expo along with AMG CEO Joe López, told Yogonet in an exclusive interview.

“Today nothing could justify waiting or wasting more time: PGS 2022 will thus be the real thermometer that will measure the temperature of what is to come. To return to June, the traditional month for PGS, is simply a return to order, with great respect for those who trust in our organization and in the most important fair in the region,” Solórzano added. “Being part of PGS 2022 is the opportunity to be seen in the best showcase within the framework of a real reactivation process.”

Also ahead of the event, its organizers described the stands being built as “beautiful” and surpassing those of previous editions. Likewise, the conference lineup, which has gathered much interest for its wide coverage of industry topics, has “full capacity assured on the designated conference space.” Panels will start at 11 am, following the opening ceremony, and will feature debates on pressing issues such as cryptocurrency, online regulation and fraud detection.

• 11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: “Gaming sector’s current situation and the actions to be taken on the road to reactivation”. Eduardo Sevilla Echevarría, General Director of Casino Games and Slot Machines of MINCETUR.
• 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.: “Bridges for a necessary reactivation of the gaming industry in Peru”. Fernando Calderón, President of SONAJA. 
• 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.: “Payment Methods for Latin America, the challenge to define the best options”. Victor Arias, Vice President of Latam Operations of Pragmatic Play. 
• 12:30 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.: Coffee break
• 12:45 p.m. - 1.30 p.m.: Round Table “Sports Betting and Fraud Detection Systems”. Juan Méndez, Manager Integrity of Latam of Sportradar; Ángel Suárez, Manager of Ethical Integrity and Compliance of the Peruvian Football Federation. Moderator: Fernando Garita, Business Development Director of Betcris. 
• 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: “Online Poker B2B new vertical of the game for gaming”. Manuel Jiménez, Commercial Manager Latam of EvenBet; John Alexander Barrera, International poker tournament organizer. 

“PGS is no longer just a regional-only fair, and now the entire world turns its eyes toward it, seeking to experience something new and different in a space that allows the exploration of new markets and productive networking with agents that bring to the table concrete opportunities to establish and develop business,” organizers remarked this week, adding they expect exhibitors from areas as remote as India or jurisdictions neighboring Russia.

“The latest novelties to be showcased at the expo, featuring cutting-edge technology, will be like the cherry on top for all the operators and investors seeking to update and modernize their businesses. Along this line, an important number of executives with decision-making power, both regional and from other parts of the world, is expected to arrive,” they added.

PGS will continue with its second and last fair date on Thursday, with all eyes on the legislative debate on online sports betting in Peru. Organizers have set up a special round table headlined by APADELA, and featuring operators such as Betsson and Apuesta Total, along with expert Carlos Fonseca.

In an exclusive interview with Yogonet conducted last Friday, Peruvian congresswoman Diana Gonzalez Delgado pointed out that the proposal of a regulatory framework for online gaming and sports betting, set to be voted at the Parliament, will feature a 12% tax on Net Win for both activities.

The legislator said the proposal will be an “agreed-upon framework,” resulting from an opinion passed in May by the Economy Commission of the Congress; and a bill along the same lines sent by the Executive branch, through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR).

It is worth pointing out that one of the main differences between both proposals is the Net Win tax: while the provision passed by the Economy Commission -which took Gonzales’ bill proposal as a base- calls for a 20% tax, the MINCETUR proposal calls for a 12% tax.

In conversation with Yogonet, Solórzano called the possibility for online gaming and sports betting to be regulated by law “great news for Peru and other regions” where the issue is already being discussed. “The impact in Peru will be great because it will be added to the regulation of in-person gaming, allowing for a fully integrated market,” he explained.