At the close of the Regulators Conference in the SAGSE- Centroamerica expo in Panama, Raul Cortizo Cohen the local Gaming Commission executive welcomed the delegates to “live the excitement of the Panama in a tropical Las Vegas”. In a way this was true, because casinos like the Fiesta at the Panama Hotel have that mix of gambling action seen in Las Vegas, with all the Latin flavour of décor and its lively people. However, some of us were not spared the excitement of running the gauntlet amidst the throngs of local demos that ran for three days, against unpopular government measures.

I had a preamble of the turmoil, when I had a long wait for my transport from the airport to my hotel in Panama City, and the delay was described as due to an ‘incident’ taking place. This turned out to be a rally against certain unpopular Panamanian government measures. These measures also affect the country’s gaming industry and are described by a major newspaper as being ‘politically incoherent.’ The Royal Games International Group, a company backed by Brazilian finance, has already lodged a judicial complaint against the Gaming Board in Panama after the government suspended all licence applications.

Fortunately, the protests only had a minor effect on the gaming industry show at the Atlapa Center. The second Gaming Regulators Congress, which brought together legislators from around the Latin American region, opened the first-ever gaming industry exhibition in Panama. The flavour of the show was undoubtedly Latin American, but the products and services being exhibited were global in nature. From Australia to America and from Asia to Europe, gaming manufacturers and professionals had made the journey to Panama.

Well-established companies were well represented, as were the up-and-coming ‘new boys’. It was good to see old friends as well as make new ones from all sectors of the gaming industry at the event organized by Giorgio Gennari and his Buenos Aires team. At the end of a satisfactory outcome, and when almost everyone was feeling the strain of the long expo days and nights, Giorgio was always at hand to bid farewell with his usual charm, reminding us to meet again in Buenos Aires, come November.
(E-05.30.05)

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