The 2nd Latin American Gaming Exhibition got under way on Thursday at the Centro Banamex in Mexico City.
Among those exhibiting at the event are companies already well established in the Mexican market and those making their first tentative steps into the jurisdiction. Although some reported slow traffic during the first day of the event, the majority said they had the opportunity to meet decision makers and make new contacts.
The existing regulatory framework, which prohibits roulette and other table games, is proving to be a source of much debate and prompted a number of industry executives to speculate that the government will move to reform the country’s gaming legislation shortly.
"We’re sure there is a determination here at a regulatory level and there are several operators treating it as if it is a regulated market," said Timothy Chapman, sales director at Elektroncek. "There’s just the question of how the regulator deals with the grey areas and the black market when it moves over to a regulated one."
All those InterGaming spoke to at ELA were convinced that Mexico has great potential as a gaming market, both for domestic players and tourists. Cynthia Fragoso Fesh of Cadillac Jack described existing regulation as "ancient" and revealed that several groups are lobbying the government for new gaming legislation.
"We are trying to push the authorities to broaden what is allowed in casinos," she said. "It’ll take a while, but not a long time."
