The opening day of this year's Latin American Gaming Exhibition, ELA 2010, demonstrated the growing importance of the Mexican gaming market, with the industry's biggest names bringing their latest products to the show.

Although the Centro Banamex exhibition hall in Mexico City, Mexico, didn’t bring in the crowds on Thursday, the general impression from the exhibitors was that those in attendance were key decision makers. Traffic was expected to pick up today yet most of the exhibitors InterGaming spoke to said they were pleased with the number of customers they had been able to meet with.

Eduardo Aching of Konami explained that five or six companies control more than 70 per cent of the country’s legal gaming business, meaning only a small number of delegates have been sent to the event.

“ELA is very different from the other shows, such as G2E Las Vegas and IGE London,” he told InterGaming. “95 per cent of visitors will be from Mexico, whereas those shows attract visitors from all over the world.

“As Class III machines are introduced in Mexico, more visitors will come from the Caribbean and other neighbouring regions.”

New interpretations of the country’s existing laws and greater interest in more adequate regulation from the government has allowed for operators to offer a variety of new games, including Class III slots and electronic table games.

“Mexico is an interesting market because they’ve changed the type of games they can have here,” Shuffle Master’s Kirsten Clark said. “We’re really encouraged by these developments. The regulatory change is a great opportunity for us.”

This view was shared by Atronic’s Sylvia Dietz, who suggested that this year’s event had attracted a larger number of exhibitors. “Just look around – everyone is here,” she said. “Mexico has huge potential as an opening market and we want to make sure we have our share.”