In this interview, GAMMEX 2009’s Show Manager, Izkrah Pinto, explained to Mauricio Moreno of Surface Media, that México City has been the home of one of the oldest regional amusement expos. As new businesses venture into Latin America’s most promising gaming market, GAMMEX 2009 claims that more than 2,000 gaming professionals will visit this expo in an industry display without precedent in the country.

With about six weeks to go for GAMMEX 2009 at México City’s major venue the World Trade Center, on April 1-2, Pinto comments also on the current legislation process at the local Congress, where legislators are debating changes to the outdated 1947 Federal Gaming and Lotteries Law. This arcane piece of legislation was subjected to questionable Regulations in 2004 with the ensuing controversial gaming permits and Court injunctions that enabled gaming operations to open in the country.

MM – First, Would you let us know about the impact of the two expos in México City?
IP – Yes, of course. But there aren’t two events. There are three! Let me explain. Exime is the oldest gaming expo in the country and this year they will celebrate 14 years, in August. ELA 2009 stated in Monterrey last year and have move to the DF for a May date, and GAMMEX 2009 is in what should be its second year in México City. Each of the three expos have as an objective different goals. Exime is an amusement expo for the arcade business, ELA is aiming to the new segment of betting salons; and GAMMEX aims to please all of the gaming segments.

MM – Well, this is news to us. Everyone thinks that there are two gaming expos in México.
IP – This has been quite common with the people who are not well involved in the gaming industry in México, but no one can ignore an event that has ran for 14 years, thinking that there are only 2 gaming events in the country! What shouldn’t surprise us, however, is that other expos are organized in other Mexican cities in the future. You see, betting and machine gaming in México is just beginning to be taken into account and the sector as a whole is very young. But we are 110 million of Mexicans who like a little gamble, is horse racing, lotto, bingos or slot machines.

MM – Who is taking part in GAMMEX 2009?
IP - We have most of the big names in the amusement sector including: GMV, Casper, Moldeco, Abauer, Unis, Monetec, Galex, etc. From the US of A, we have Gary Platt, Cool Things from Italy, Astro from Taiwan, ACE from Korea, TAB Austria, and so on. Many of these companies are coming to Latin America for the first time, and there are other big companies that we are not able to tell you about, just yet.

MM – We have read that a Commission is debating de old gaming law in the Mexican Congress. Any update on this?
IP – According to one of our attorneys, who worked at Secretaria de Gobernacion, which controls gaming legislation in México, at the moment there is a strong possibility that the first changes will be to allow casino gaming machines in the country, the ones called Class III. The representatives have a new casino law project that they are willing to have approved to allow Las Vegas type casinos. We are all hoping for this to happen.

MM – You have said that there will be 2,000 visitors attending GAMMEX 2009. Surely, this hasn’t happened before in México. How could you be so sure that you will attract such a big crowd?
IP – It’s very simple. We do know our market, and have worked very hard to prepare GAMMEX 2009, since May last year when many people came back from Monterrey with the impression that the gaming public had supported ELA, which was very well organized. When we saw this, we decided on a trial expo in a México City hotel. We hired 1000 SMQ of space for one day and had more than 1,000 visitors from all over the country. All the indications are that pver 2,000 decision makers will come to GAMMEX 2009 on april 1-2.

MM – Yes, but will the visitors from the new gaming segment come to GAMMEX 2009?
IP - Of course, and we are sure of this, and just now, I would like to say than you to the president of the Asociacion de Permisionarios de Juegos y Sorteos de México, Alfonso Perez Lizaur, who has accepted our invitation on behalf of his prestigious organization to attend GAMMEX 2009. We are making available to the México licensed operators a fully furnished complimentary stand where Mr Perez Lizaur may be able to entertain not only the member of his Association, but international operators, who will for sure be at GAMMEX 2009.

MM – Some in your office told us that you have a nice surprise for professionals of the gaming sector in México. Could you let us know what this is?
IP - Well, GAMMEX 2009 will be very nice for the Mexican gaming sector! Also, our Show has the support of representative international gaming media, and our intention is to exhibit the results of everyone associated with the development of this exciting and young industry in México. The surprise we have in store will seek to give an award to operators who visit GAMMEX 2009, and we would like to invite everyone to visit us at the World Trade Center on April 1-2.

It is a fact that many of the companies mentioned by Pinto are not known in the international gaming sector, but at the same time, it is also a fact that for almost 60 years México has been excluded from mainstream gaming as a consequence of the 1947 gaming Law. The Lower House in the Mexican Congress seems determined to end with that piece of legislation as well as the 2004 Regulations, which have not improved gaming legislation in the country. (E-02.13.09)

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