José Aníbal Aguirre: "Latin America is much more than just Brazil, today seen as a giant for the expansion of the industry"

On April 10 and 11, at the Las Americas Convention Center in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, a new edition of GAT Expo Cartagena will take place. The event, which will gather more than 3,000 entrepreneurs from the Latin American gaming sector, has a mastermind behind its organization: José Aníbal Aguirre.

The CEO of GAT Expo spoke to Yogonet during the pre-summit and addressed topics ranging from the anniversary of the expo to the state of the gambling industry in the Latin American region.

A new edition of GAT is just around the corner. Undoubtedly it will be a special edition to celebrate 25 years in the industry. What does this milestone mean to you, not only as a businessman but also personally?

I sincerely think and feel that after so much work and so many experiences, some difficult and many happy ones, we have accomplished and reached a level of recognition that personally fills me with joy.

As a businessman, we are constantly trying to offer better experiences, facilities, and satisfaction to sponsors, exhibitors, and the visiting public. We are highly motivated by the figures and the growth of legal gaming in Latin America.

Throughout the last quarter of a century of history, in what aspects do you think GAT Expo has grown and what changes do you notice from its first edition to this 2024?

In 1999 we were very few in size but the crew has grown. Today we have a professional team that deals with marketing, sales, recruitment, corporate communication, social networks, and our channel that we have called GAT Networks to innovate in the transmission of our live events and thus provide more visibility to related commercial brands and regulators in the region and national and foreign associations.

The most visible change is the increase in the number of games that the public can access today, apart from the traditional lotteries, and territorial and national draws in retail and land-based casinos. Online gaming, technology, and artificial intelligence have influenced the entire ecosystem and, in our case, we have gone from being a tradeshow with an almost exclusive emphasis on gaming halls to having the entry of online platforms. These virtual and innovative games have enriched the commercial offer of the Gaming & Technology Expo. The Latin American gaming industry will revolve these days around GAT Expo Cartagena.

This year there will be four editions of GAT Expo: Cartagena, Bogota, Santo Domingo, and Cancun. Organizationally, how do you prepare to hold four events, in three different countries? How do you think one differs from the other?

I like your question because, of course, Yogonet is part of our four events in 2024. Two are in Colombia, one in the Dominican Republic, and one in Mexico at the end of November. It is an economic, budgetary, administrative, and logistical challenge, but we have a strong team, turnkey participation models with professional suppliers of production and special services, and selection of the best venues tailored to the size and level of this economic sector that does not stop in its development and, above all, a great desire to move forward and continue to grow.

Each event has its particular profile. GAT Expo Cartagena is our large-format fair, still with a strong land-based focus.

GAT Showcase Bogota, with less exhibition space, has the support of all manufacturers, and traditional suppliers of slots, roulette wheels, and casino equipment in the country. Operators from all corners of Colombia gather at this one-day showcase. Bogota is the next stop after Cartagena, in the first week of September.

GAT Santo Domingo jumped from Punta Cana to the capital of the Dominican Republic at the request of the country's main operators. We will have the support of CIBELAE to deal with specific topics on legal gaming and money laundering control. It is important to highlight the recently issued regulation of online gambling in that country.

On the other hand, entering Mexico through Cancun is a good sign. We have an excellent relationship with AIEJA, which has decided to support GAT Caribe Cancun, scheduling its last assembly of the year in the venue of our event.

Latin America is a region that is experiencing very different processes regarding the gaming business. At present, the Brazilian market stands out, but South America also has its particular characteristics, as well as the Caribbean and even Mexico. How would you define the region in comparison to the rest of the world?

You said it, let's look at the map of America and move along Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Let's enter Colombia and go down to Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, and of course Argentina, all different but part of the same people: Ibero-America. The eastern side of the Latin American map has marked influences from Portugal, France, and the United Kingdom, cultural differences that mark diverse tastes and processes in the conquest of their markets. That is why I say: Latin America is much more than Brazil, considered a giant for the expansion of the industry.

The New World is still a continent under construction, with a population growth rate much higher than the European one, an idiosyncrasy that has playfulness engraved in its DNA, and large markets to be incorporated into the gaming and betting segment.

The growing popularity of gambling in the region makes evident the arrival of foreign investors with projects aimed at the creation of more physical casinos and the appearance of many gaming suppliers for online platforms and technology.

This last question is more personal, as a prominent member of the gaming industry in the region, what achievement do you consider you have yet to accomplish? What dream would you like to achieve within the sector?

In the last two years, I have dedicated part of my time and dreams, in addition to the events I run as an organizer, to learn a little more about the world of eSports and now I will act more directly as Chief Operations Marketing of Mobadoo, a company that creates new generation content, specialized in eSports betting that invited me to join their projects, given my relationship with the industry. I'll keep you updated and you can meet Mobadoo at GAT Expo Cartagena, I'll be waiting for you in Cartagena on April 9, 10, and 11 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of GAT with you!