GMB - How is Fecoljuegos structured?
Evert Montero Cárdenas - The Colombian Federation of Gaming Businessmen
(Fecoljuegos) is a nonprofit organization, of associative character that
defends the interests of the gaming operators in Colombia. It is composed of
affiliated entrepreneurs throughout the country and headed by a president who
reports to the Board of Directors.
As an entity created to defend the gaming operatos in Colombia, what were the
main achievements over the 17 years of operation?
One of the main objectives of Fecoljuegos has always been the
professionalization of the sector and increase transparency, to continue
generating wealth for the operators, for consumers and for all Colombians in
general. We have succeeded in getting the state to recognize us as strategic
partners in exploiting the monopoly of games.
Our biggest achievement as an entity is that we become legitimate
interlocutors before the regulatory body, the other control agencies, the State
and also with the private companies and with all the bodies that act in this
activity. Many of our businessmen have more than 20 years in the casino and
bingo industry and have been struggling, despite the lack of knowledge that the
state and society had - and still do - have. They are experts in the operation
of gaming and have much to offer in terms of regulations, new products and also
public policies that should govern the monopoly. Today, the State consults us,
listens and pays much attention to our observations. Dialogue with the regulator
is fluid and very productive. We have been able to draw attention to the issue
of illegality, which is so detrimental to companies and the collection. Today
the State has taken steps to curb illegal gambling. Another victory consists in
proposing and conquering changes in regulation, for the benefit of the industry
itself, as was seen recently in the tax reform and in the latest regulations
advanced by Coljuegos.
How does Fecoljuegos deal with the
"responsible gambling"?
The first act of responsibility towards exploiting the monopoly of gaming
is doing it legally. All our affiliates are authorized operators with
Coljuegos, which ensures that they comply with all the financial and
operational requirements demanded by the State and that the players are always
given what they are entitled to, as well as the payment of taxes to the State.
At the same time, we do an ongoing awareness-raising work among our affiliates
on the importance of establishing corporate policies that promote responsible
gambling within their establishments. The oerators have very clear that the
playful aspect of the game excels by the concept of players entering the rooms
for fun. However, given a small percentage that can develop a gambling
pathology, the operators themselves set limits that prevent gambling expenses
from exceeding the player's economic capacity. We even have an interesting
example from one of our affiliates, Winer Group, who developed a responsible
gaming program aimed at educating customers to enjoy games in a healthy way,
including barriers in some betting volumes.
In Colombia, the gaming sector provides
important financial resources for health. Was it a wise decision to benefit
Colombian society? How much is the government raising for health with gaming?
It was a wise decision, which shows the 2016 collection, which reached US$
152 million and continues to grow. The human being has the spirit of the game
and looks for forms of entertainment that fulfill this need. That is, gaming has
always existed and do not regulate them or prohibit them leads to clandestine
practices, with consequent bad practices and fraud. A player who bets on
clandestinity is not sure if he gets his prize and has no one to complain to,
while those who exploit the games illegally enrich themselves. Regular gambling
is beneficial to players because it assures their money, to businessmen,
because it gives them legal guarantees to carry on the activity and to the
country, which collects taxes on the sector. The same will happen in Brazil. If
the country approves a law for the gaming sector, it will be beneficial for
Brazil, because it will raise taxes, and for society, because it will have a
new leisure option and also more jobs will be generated.
Brazil is discussing a gaming law. Do
you believe that Fecoljuegos can offer information on the elaboration of an accurate
law for both local operators and businessmen from other countries to invest in
Brazil?
Of course, yes. We can show our experience over the years. The monopoly of
gaming in Colombia went through highs and lows, hits and errors and we learned
a lot from it. So much we learn that today we have a regulation - even if it is
not perfect - that is an example in the region. Today, thanks to a very close
relationship with Coljuegos, we are reviewing our gaming law in order to
modernize it and adapt it to the current reality.
With a serious law, would Colombian
businessmen have an interest in investing in Brazil?
Certainly. As I mentioned before, Colombian operators have a lot of
experience and expectations to continue investing in the activity. If there are
interesting opportunities in Brazil, they will surely invest.
What is the most successful experience
that Fecoljuegos can show to Brazilian entrepreneurs and authorities?
The most valuable lesson we have learned over the years is that in order to
have a healthy gaming industry, all actors involved - public and private - must
work together in a collaborative way. Because it is an activity under
concession, there are many organs, such as Coljuegos, National Police, state
and municipal governments, secretaries, councils, supervisory bodies,
prosecutors, etc. Thus, it is important to establish joint work methodologies
that guarantee the State and the operators the efficient and transparent
exercise of the activity. As an association, our goal is to move forward,
creating a public policy for the gaming industry. That is why we consider
important that entrepreneurs come together and organize themselves so that they
can take the discussions to the legislative level. We understand that the union
of businessmen allowed them to participate more strongly in new modalities, as
in the case of internet games in Colombia. Finally, the academy plays an
important role in our mission as an entity. We promote events and empowerment
that is not just about the industry but also about all aspects of running a
successful business. Our business owners are updated to face a market with many
changes and with increasingly demanding and sophisticated consumers.
Source: GMB
