Castilla y León gaming congress to draw nearly 300 participants in Soria

The Junta de Castilla y León will hold the 19th Castilla y León Gaming Congress at the Sala Magna of the Diputación Provincial de Soria on 20 and 21 October, the regional government said in a press release. The congress is organised by the Consejería de la Presidencia and is expected to bring together close to 300 participants from public administrations and the business sector.

The programme covers digitalisation, changes to business models, generational handover and shifts in consumer habits in land-based gaming. It combines analysis of the challenges facing companies with study of trends expected to shape users' relationship with gambling in the coming years, according to the release.

Ruth Andérez, director of Institutional Relations and External Action at the Consejería de la Presidencia, presented the programme on 19 October. She was accompanied by Yolanda de Gregorio, the Junta's territorial delegate in Soria, and by representatives of the business organisations collaborating in the event.

Representatives of the administrations of Andalucía, Aragón, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Comunidad de Madrid, País Vasco and La Rioja are expected to attend, in addition to Castilla y León. Private-sector representation will include regional and national companies from the various subsectors, manufacturers and testing laboratories for gaming equipment.

The congress is sponsored by ASEOCYL and FAOCALE for the machine subsector, ASECAL for bingo, SAJUCAL for gaming halls, the casinos of Valladolid, León and Salamanca, and ALACA for betting. The Diputación Provincial de Soria collaborates in the organisation.

The programme begins on Tuesday 20 October, once the regional presidency minister has taken part, with a panel discussion titled 'Los distintos juegos de azar en la encrucijada: ¿evolución o reconversión?', which examines how the various subsectors are responding to technological advances and to changes in consumer preferences. The morning's second session shifts attention to business management, addressing digital adaptation, the arrival of new generations, professionalisation and the recruitment of talent.

Later that day, the journalist Javier Chicote gives a specialist presentation on current issues in investigative reporting and the courts. On Wednesday 21 October, a panel discussion titled 'El jugador del mañana: tecnología, experiencia y nuevos hábitos' turns to shifts in user profiles and what they may mean for the sector, taking artificial intelligence, personalised experiences and new entertainment formats as starting points.

The congress will close with contributions from Andérez and from Benito Serrano, president of the Diputación Provincial de Soria, the institution collaborating in the event.