"Operators have high expectations to see the latest trends and developments that will be showcased at PGS 2023"

Joe López and Rubén Solórzano, authorities of Affiliated Marketing Group and organizers of Peru Gaming Show (PGS), highlighted that the event's upcoming twentieth edition has been "very well received" by the gaming industry in Peru and the rest of the LatAm region.

In an exclusive interview with Yogonet, the executives said that the event will address developments in both the online and land-based sectors. "The structures of the in-person businesses are combined with the online ones and, far from being competition, they become complementary," the executives noted.

The event will take place on June 14 and 15 at the Jockey Exhibition Center in Lima.

The organizers of the Peru Gaming Show have announced the presence of more than 60 participating companies. What are your expectations for the twentieth edition of the event?

We are very excited about PGS 2023. We have had a very good response from the entire industry and the national operators, as well as those coming from other parts of the region. They have high expectations to see the latest trends and novelties that will be shown at the expo. Additionally, the conferences have received very positive feedback due to the professional quality of the speakers and the topics of great interest. In this context, we expect to have a full house.

You have also indicated that, for this edition, you will also focus on the online sector in Latin America. How will this be done?

It is no news that online games, as well as remote sports betting, have set the pace of the entertainment industry in recent years. The potential of these verticals has been shown in almost all markets. Currently, markets are concerned about regulation in order to protect the player and give them greater opportunities with the entry of new platforms. 

What place will the land-based sector have in this edition of PGS 2023? 

What is observed in the market is the rapid growth of online games. However, the land-based sector is a traditional entertainment sector with a different audience that will hardly be lost. As a business, there will surely be a readjustment; but today, the structures of the in-person businesses are combined with the online ones, and far from being competition, they become complementary. In this edition of PGS 2023, slot machine manufacturers have not lost space. There has been a rearrangement, but they are still present with extraordinary novelties for users.

PGS 2023 will also feature a special networking date. What prompted you to hold such a specific event?

Together with our 20th-anniversary celebration, we took suggestions from participants at PGS 2022. Apparently, last year's attendance was so large that exhibitors did not have time to do any networking with their neighbors. For that reason, we decided to have a more controlled event, by invitation only, to give it a more relaxed atmosphere where networking between suppliers and customers can take place.

PGS 2023 takes place in the midst of the debate surrounding the regulation of the online gaming and betting law in Peru and following the approval of a law that amends certain aspects of the regulation. What place will this topic have in the event?

The participation of Peruvian authorities will give relevant weight to the conferences with first-hand information. The Vice Minister of Tourism, Madeleine Burns Vidaurrázaga; the General Director of Casino Games and Slot Machines, Eduardo Sevilla; and the President of the National Gaming Society, Fernando Calderón, will be present. Their attendance is a sign of trust and support to the Peruvian market and to our organization, which carries out an event in which debate feeds knowledge and clarifies doubts.

Last March, Bill 3.595/2022 was presented to modify Law 31,557, which regulates online services, and was approved by a large majority in the first vote on May 25. The regulation is still pending.

What other discussions regarding the sector in Latin America do you expect to be addressed within the framework of the event?

We are very grateful because we will have the visit of our director of Casino Games and Slot Machines of Peru and the vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur). They will have information on how the industry is doing in Peru and the hopes for the future. We will also have information about new payment methods in casinos; the use and impact of Artificial Intelligence in gaming; responsible gaming and omnichannel; the importance of maintaining ethics and control over gaming; and many other topics of importance for operators.

This edition of the Peru Gaming Show will be held very close to the Brazilian iGaming Summit 2023, which will take place in Sao Paulo. What is the reason for this? What effect do you think it will have on the event in Lima?

We have always verified with all the other shows the dates of the events so as not to have a conflict. This is very important for the exhibitors, who would like and need to be present in all the venues. Our date was announced at the end of the June 2022 show, and we have kept these dates from the beginning. Apparently, because it is the first show of this nature in Brazil, we got our dates overlapped on one day. But all indications are that in the future, there will be better coordination to avoid any conflict out of respect for the exhibitors.