With highly positive results in sales, business opportunities, and industry networking, GAT Expo Bogotá successfully concluded its event held last Thursday, October 15, in Colombia’s capital. GAT Expo Bogotá reaffirmed its leadership as a key business platform for the gaming industry, bringing together domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers with operators seeking to upgrade their gaming floors, incorporate new technologies, expand their gaming portfolios, and modernize their operations.
The event welcomed business leaders, manufacturers, technology suppliers, and gaming operators from 19 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, France, Georgia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Russia, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
At the national level, attendance figures recorded business delegates from gaming operators representing more than 30 cities and municipalities across different regions of Colombia, including Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Pereira, Manizales, Ibagué, Santa Marta, Montería, Valledupar, Villavicencio, Yopal, Neiva, Barrancabermeja, Arauca, Duitama, Sogamoso, Fusagasugá, Cajicá, Envigado, Floridablanca, San Andrés, and Túquerres. This extensive geographic representation, combined with international participation, stimulated commercial activity, facilitated direct engagement between manufacturers and operators, and contributed to closing deals and establishing new strategic partnerships.
Coljuegos, Colombia’s gaming regulatory authority, reinforced the event’s institutional presence through its stand in the exhibition area of the Sheraton Hotel, strengthening industry dialogue and promoting legal gaming among business leaders interested in investing in or expanding their operations within the Colombian market.
Technology and Innovation Took Center Stage
Leading brands showcased their latest developments in slot machines, next-generation gaming cabinets, progressive jackpots, electronic roulettes, management systems, payment solutions, casino furniture, specialized marketing and advertising services, digital platforms, and solutions for both the land-based and online gaming segments.
This extensive technology showcase gave operators the opportunity to explore new solutions firsthand through live demonstrations, helping them identify ways to modernize their establishments, diversify their gaming offerings, and respond to emerging trends in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven industry.
Novomatic, Win Systems/Gold Club, Interblock, Gambee, Play Group, Pragmatic Play, Gamanza, BetConstruct, Royal Gaming, BetPlay, Oklahoma, Mobbili, JCM, Gem Solutions, Global Technology Services, Mer Design, RPCOL, UP Gaming, and BYADS took advantage of the event to strengthen commercial relationships and expand their presence in the Colombian market.
GAT Talks
Alongside the trade exhibition, GAT Expo Bogotá featured a dedicated area for GAT Talks, conceived as a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of experiences among industry association representatives and C-level executives.
Sponsored by Gamanza and YaJuego, GAT Talks Bogotá hosted three panel discussions addressing key priorities shaping the present and future of the gaming industry, both in Colombia and across the continent.
Responsible Gaming: A Shared Commitment
The first panel, “Responsible Gaming in South America,” was moderated by Luis Zanazzi, Training Advisor at ALEA, and featured Juan Carlos Restrepo, President of Asojuegos; Elizabeth Maya, President of Cornazar; and Willington Ortiz, President of Fedelco.
The discussion examined responsible gaming from the perspective of industry associations, highlighting initiatives and achievements in Colombia, as well as recommendations and challenges related to promoting safer gaming practices. Particular attention was given to legal gaming operations and educating children and young people to prevent risky behaviors.
The exchange of perspectives between Colombian industry representatives and the Argentine experience underscored the importance of collective action, emphasizing the urgent need for commitment across the entire gaming ecosystem to ensure the industry’s sustainable development.
The session helped identify key training needs and opportunities in Responsible Gaming across Colombia and other Latin American markets, providing valuable insights for the development of future training initiatives throughout the region.
The Current Landscape of Land-Based Casinos and Retail Gaming
The afternoon’s second panel was moderated by Georges Didier, Regional Director for Latin America at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), with the participation of Laura Marcela Arévalo, Legal Advisor at Cornazar; José Luis Osorio, CEO of Retailsoft Solution; Laura Ruiz, Attorney at Vásquez y Asociados; and Julio Duque, Latin America Director at Golden Race.
In addition to examining the main challenges facing land-based casino operators regarding game certification and regulatory approval, the discussion highlighted the need for more streamlined procedures capable of keeping pace with technological innovation and the evolving needs of licensed operators.
Industry executives and legal professionals analyzed the regulatory requirements involved in introducing new gaming products, emphasizing the importance of establishing conditions that enable operators to innovate and respond promptly to developments in the regulated market.
The Future of Gamification: Beyond Bonuses
The GAT Talks program concluded with the panel “Gamification Is Not a Bonus Engine: Why the Industry Confused the Mechanism with the Experience,” moderated by Andrés Blanco, Managing Director and Chief Product Officer at Gamanza Engage.
Joining the discussion were Lina Gallego, Country Manager at Luckia Colombia; Paola Gayón, Marketing Manager at BetPlay; Diego Fernando Vargas Cortés, Strategy Director at YaJuego; and Favián Granados, CRM Manager LATAM at Xpanzia.
The experts explored the broader potential of gamification as a tool to fundamentally transform the player experience, strengthen loyalty, and build long-term relationships between operators and players.
Moving beyond traditional bonuses and promotions, the panel examined the importance of creating genuine emotional connections and personalized experiences while respecting the boundaries that must guide these strategies, particularly player protection and responsible gaming principles.
Specific examples included the suspension of marketing campaigns during public emergencies in areas affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia, illustrating how responsible engagement must take precedence over commercial objectives under exceptional circumstances.
José Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT Events, commented:
The three discussions made it clear that industry growth requires a balance between innovation, competitiveness, sustainability, and player protection. This is precisely why it is so important to establish ongoing opportunities for dialogue in every jurisdiction where we exercise our leadership as organizers of gaming industry trade shows and events. Ultimately, it all comes down to one essential principle: responsible gaming means sustainable development.
A Trade Show That Drives Business and Strengthens the Legal Gaming Industry
The success of GAT Expo Bogotá reaffirms the value of in-person industry gatherings as effective platforms for closing business deals.
Beyond showcasing products, the exhibition facilitated direct interaction between technology developers and the decision-makers responsible for investments, purchases, and equipment upgrades in casinos and other gaming operations.
For José Aníbal Aguirre, Founder and CEO of GAT Events, the results confirm the importance of Bogotá and Cartagena within the organization’s event circuit, as well as the strong commercial potential of Colombia’s gaming industry.
We received extremely positive feedback from exhibitors, particularly regarding sales. Slot machine manufacturers and suppliers were consistently busy meeting with their operator clients, demonstrating that GAT Expo Bogotá is much more than a technology showcase: it is a place where business deals are made. That was precisely our objective: to deliver a dynamic, short-format event that generated tangible commercial results. And we achieved it. We will conclude the 2026 GAT Events circuit on November 18 at the Renaissance Hotel in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We will replicate this same format, combining a trade exhibition, networking opportunities, and a GAT Talks conference program. We look forward to welcoming everyone with many exciting developments.