Coronavirus outbreak: events scheduled for next few months massively suspended

This week, organizers of the most relevant events within the gambling industry have announced their decision to postpone trade shows, conferences, and conventions in every continent.

Following the World Health Organization's assessment of COVID-19 as a pandemic, and the extreme measures implemented worldwide, organizers have decided to suspend at least eight events, many of them forced by recent restrictions ordered by local governments, while others are to be rescheduled within the next few hours.

CasinoBeats Malta, which would have taken place in March, has now been rescheduled for June 22; SPiCE India 2020, the top event in the country originally scheduled for March 25, has now been suspended; The Malta iGathering, organized by SIGMA Group, was also supposed to be held on March 25 and has also been suspended until further notice. Organizers of NIGA’s Indian Gaming Tradeshow, probably one of the most relevant global events that would have taken place in San Diego across March 24-27, have now also announced its postponement without a new date.

As for Latin America, the GAT Expo, scheduled for April 21 in Cartagena the Indias, has also been suspended. "In accordance with recent measures taken by the National Government of Colombia and in an attempt to prioritize the protection of the health of national and international exhibitors and visitors, the organization (...) proceeds to announce the postponement of Gaming & Technology Week and Gaming & Technology Expo," the organizing company announced in an official statement. "In the next 72 hours, we will have the new dates, taking into account the calendar of events of the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center in the coming months and the annual schedule of events in the gaming industry."

Sources consulted by Yogonet have revealed that other events in Latin America, such as SAGSE+ Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, scheduled for May 7, could also change dates. Peru Gaming Show authorities met yesterday to analyze the situation and eventually, decide to reschedule the renowned Lima show.

Other events which have already announced new dates include Betting on Sports America —originally scheduled for April in New Jersey and now postponed to December 1—, G2E Asia —which would have taken place on May 19 in Macau and will now be held on a new date in July— and GTI Asia Taipei Expo, rescheduled for April 22, 2021.

As for Clarion Gaming's two events announced for this month in the United States —ICE North America in New Orleans and Ampersand Assembly Miami, in Coral Gables— organizers have decided to stick to the original dates for now: "Unless otherwise advised, our events are taking place as scheduled." But the measures ordered by the U.S. government in the last 48 hours regarding the restriction of passenger travel to the territory or the organization of massive events are likely to cause difficulties in the development of these events and organizers may eventually decide to postpone them.

The international crisis generated by the coronavirus outbreak has finally hit an industry that has always been used to an agenda full of events.