The FADJA fair that has been celebrated for 21 years, it’s new fair of gambling in Colombia for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic with its new name GAT, with a commercial sample of gambling platforms, software, cybersecurity, bets and virtual games, e-Sports and much more in this GAT Expo 2021.
The fair was held at the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center, during August 18 and 19, 2021, this time the experience of one of the most important gambling fairs in Latin America was very different compared to other years.
The capacity, due to biosecurity protocols, was not the usual. In previous years they exceeded the barrier of thousands of people. In spite of this, according to government regulations, the maximum capacity allowed inside the convention center was 500 people, and it was not reached according to the number of visitors.
However, this was a fair with a much more educational focus, with a greater number of lectures and forums that were also retransmitted through different online platforms. In this space of academic agenda, the fair counted with the participation of some representatives of the gaming industry in Mexico who invited to make an alliance with Colombia, so that there is cross-investment between both countries in the gaming industry.
"Let's make an alliance between Colombia and Mexico, taking advantage of the fact that both regulators are there, how can we create a level playing field between nations, how can Mexicans invest in Colombia and Colombians in Mexico? Oscar Paredes Arroyo, President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Permit Holders, Operators and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry in Mexico.
The academic environment revolved around different strategies to promote an activity that generates important resources for the country and for entrepreneurs, but also on how the industry can become increasingly professional, safe and legal, seeking to shield it from the latent risks that we know today.
On the other hand, the commercial offer did not reach levels similar to previous ones, especially in casino machines, with much smaller stands and decoration.
This shows the hard blow received by the sector as a result of the pandemic, in addition to an adaptation by the organizers of the same within the new regulatory frameworks of biosecurity.
The casino industry was not represented in this fair; the commercial offer was focused on other aspects such as sports betting and eSports. In addition to this, casino operators are in a different moment than the one presented at the fair, where their energies are focused on recovering their sales levels to keep their operations afloat.
