The ICE World Gaming Forum, set to take place January 20 – 22 at the Fira Gran Via Barcelona, has confirmed Vicente Fox, the 62nd President of Mexico, as one of its keynote speakers. Organizers said the announcement further underlines the event’s reputation as the “Davos of Gaming.”
The former President will headline the World Regulatory Briefing taking place on Monday 20, where he will address the topic of ‘Regulation and Revitalisation’ and the requirements needed to balance economic growth with community protection.
According to ICE, Fox, a critic of the populist movements sweeping the region, will outline his business-centric approach to the development of Mexico, and the opportunities that exist for operators in the region.
Previewing the keynote, international broadcaster and Chair of the 2025 ICE World Gaming Forum Nadine Dereza, said: “As the President responsible for rationalizing Mexico’s complex gambling framework in the early 2000s, Vicente Fox paved the way for easier gaming legalization, going on to grant the overwhelming majority of the current 763 licenses in the market.
Nadine Dereza
“The former President has previously gone on the record as favoring casinos as a tax benefit to reduce Mexico’s dependence on unpredictable oil income, and for growing the local tourism industry, while emphasizing the need to ensure they operate in a controlled and supervised manner.”
Providing insight into the dynamics of the market, Clarion Gaming Senior Conference Producer Damien-Ashton-Wellman added: “With online sports betting predicted to be worth $1.24 billion this year alone, and with a projected annual growth rate of 8.45% by 2029, Mexico is one of the hottest markets in Latin America after Brazil.
“The latest election has put it front and center of the gaming industry after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that the outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s ban on slot machines was unconstitutional. This landmark ruling not only challenges the existing restrictions on slot machines but also opens the door for the introduction of roulette and dice games in Mexican casinos.
“President Fox’s attendance at ICE adds to the event’s industry-defining reputation for bringing together key decision makers and for providing a gateway to Latin America. He will also participate in an exclusive invite-only roundtable meeting of ‘iGB Executive’, Clarion Gaming‘s new annual C-level membership community.”
ICE describes Fox as a “charismatic reformer and noted economist,” who is credited for playing a vital role in Mexico’s democratization and in strengthening the country’s economy after having previously served as CEO and President of Coca-Cola in Mexico.
After leaving office in 2006, President Fox and his wife Marta founded Centro Fox, an education non-profit dedicated to discovering, exercising, and harnessing leadership qualities in the Global South.
The non-profit is now housed at the Vicente Fox Centre of Studies, Library, and Museum in San Cristobal, Mexico. He has also served as Co-President of Centrist Democrat International, the umbrella organization for global center-right political parties.
