Bolivia: Illegal Gaming Machines to Be Destroyed
Bolivia’s gaming authority has finally signed an agreement for the destruction of several hundred illegal gaming machines. The agreement took place between the Gaming Control Authority (AJ) and Bolivian recycling company Recumet, which had to agree to work with AJ on this particular issue. This agreement involves 512 gaming machines total which have all been deemed to be illegal under current laws.
Bolivia has authorized the destroying of 512 pieces of illegal gaming equipment. Milos Hajder/Unsplash
The AJ’s vital partnership with Recumet
The AJ’s executive director Jessica Saravia was a proponent of the agreement, which allows the organization to finally move forward with a process that is important in terms of upholding Bolivia’s gaming laws. She shared that these 500+ gaming machines be destroyed in a suitable manner as determined by Recumet as well as details about past machine recycling efforts.
According to Saravia, the AJ has reclaimed 20,018 pieces of gaming machinery of all kinds. Out of those 20,000+ pieces, 91% have been destroyed. That constitutes 18,239 pieces of machinery total. That number will of course go up once this latest batch of illegal machines are processed by Recumet.
The next step will be for the AJ to transport this batch of machines to Recumet. From there, the recycling firm will systematically destroy these pieces over the course of a few months, starting soon in October and finishing in December. This process is all in accordance with current laws, specifically Law 071 and Law 060.
These laws both deal with different aspects of the process. The first has to do with adequate recycling since these machines can include pieces that would be potentially harmful to the environment if not destroyed in the appropriate manner. That is why it is so important that a qualified recycling company is on board.
Secondly, Law 060 deals with Lottery and Chance Games regulations. It ensures that every machine is checked against the standards set out by Bolivian law on gaming. Any machines that do not are marked for destruction so they cannot be used again in any capacity. Such protocol underscores how seriously the Bolivian government takes maintaining safe gaming structures for its citizens.
Saravia reiterated this point, sharing that the work of the AJ is part of a commitment to the Bolivian people in order to promote legal forms of gaming, remove unwanted interlocutors and provide transparent processes.
The AJ will also work together with Recumet to oversee the process. As the recycling company destroys each machine, the gaming authority ensures this process has taken place. Documents are also provided to show that the potentially polluting parts of the machines have been handled safely.
ICONTEC’s evaluation in Bolivia
Bolivia’s Gaming Control Authority recently underwent an external evaluation. This was conducted by an institute based in nearby Colombia, the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards of Certification (ICONTEC). ICONTEC was able to provide the AJ with a quality certificate after its analysis of the organization.
In fact, the AJ was awarded a high level of qualification at the end of the process with ICONTEC. ICONTEC noted that the AJ excels in implementing computer technology in its fight against illegal gaming and processing of information. Though it lasted just four full days, the auditing process reviewed all activity within the main AJ headquarters as well as all of its regional offices.
Colombia has also been an authority for other LATAM countries, such as Peru, which recently sent a delegation from its gaming authority to learn from Colombian authorities during hands-on training. Colombia’s authority Coljuegos is also a forerunner in the seizing of illegal machinery. It has seized close to 1000 pieces of equipment in the last two years.
