Over the course of three days, visitors from 42 countries filled the Las Américas Convention Center, the venue for a high-level academic program, technological innovation launches, and cultural, social, and business networking spaces. At the same time, a major cutting-edge trade show featured more than 60 booths showcasing and demonstrating the latest developments in land-based, online, and omnichannel gaming portfolios.
eSports also took center stage at GAT Expo Cartagena with the formalization of the alliance between the Colombian Olympic Committee, Colombian Official Esports, and GAT.
One of the event’s highlights was the meeting between Coljuegos President Marco Emilio Hincapié, Colombian Olympic Committee President Ciro Solano Hurtado, and GAT Esports CEO José Aníbal Aguirre. They expressed a joint commitment to elevate Colombian cyber athletes in the short and medium term to represent the country in international competitions and championships—ultimately aiming for the Olympic Games.
The academic agenda, held on Monday, April 28, featured 40 speakers in panels and presentations covering key topics such as regulatory frameworks in different Latin American countries, digital transformation, betting trends, the current state of the sector in Colombia, lottery evolution, data analytics in land-based casinos, and the future of eSports.
The trade show, held on April 29 and 30, served as a meeting point for operators, manufacturers, content developers, and platform providers. It confirmed the potential of the Latin American market through alliances and the exchange of supply and demand.
Victor Arias, VP of Operations for Latin America at Arrise powering Pragmatic Play, commented:
“GAT is definitely a hub—especially for northern South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and of course, Cartagena as a strategic location. New leads came to meet with us here. GAT brought us many new business opportunities. I am truly impressed.”
The organizers extended their gratitude to all attending authorities, including Coljuegos, the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission, the Colombian Olympic Committee, as well as trade associations from Colombia (Asojuegos, Cornazar, Fecoljuegos, Fedelco), AIEJA from Mexico, SONAJA from Peru, ADOBAD from the Dominican Republic, CIBELAE, and the National Charity Lottery of El Salvador.
“GAT Expo Cartagena is more than a trade show—it is a platform for regional integration and a catalyst for the development of the sectors it encompasses. We close this edition confident in having fulfilled our mission, with our sights set on the challenges ahead,” said José Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT Events.
“I’m also encouraged by the extraordinary reception of our media platform, GAT Magazine, which allowed us to take the pulse of industry leaders present in La Heroica and share it with the entire sector.”
GAT Events will continue its tour across Latin America with its upcoming editions: GAT Expo Mexico City (August 27–28), GAT Expo Bogotá (September 25), GAT Expo Puerto Rico (October 28–29), and GAT Expo Santo Domingo (November 12–13), reaffirming its commitment to the industry across the continent.
Source: GMB
