The land-based casino gambling industry in Mexico is drawing plenty of attention these days. Following an announcement at the International Casino Exhibition regarding the 2008 Latin America Gaming Fair (ELA), casino operators are beginning to give serious consideration to the possibilities of setting up shop in the rapidly expanding gambling market in Mexico and other areas in Latin America.

The Latin America Gaming Fair recently issued a press release announcing that initial attendance expectations have already been exceeded. ELA's operations manager, Ramiro Carvajales, said the fair will be in the same vein of the world's biggest and best casino gaming conventions hosted in Las Vegas, London and for the Spanish market - Buenos Aires. Carvajales said he is aiming to attract large-scale, modernly designed showcase exhibits on the convention floor, which is already promising to be jam-packed. Considering the 2008 ELA is still a year away, it is very likely to be sold out by that time.

At the International Casino Exhibition in London, there was talk about the growing opportunities for both land-based and online gambling companies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, gaming operators have been eyeing Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and the popular vacation destinations of Belize, Guadalupe, St. Maarten, Bahamas, Antigua and the Virgin Islands.

And now that the ELA is getting attention from casino gaming companies based in Venezuela, Peru, Guyana, Ecuador, Surinam and Colombia, there will also likely be a focus on gaming expansion into the Andean region. The ELA will be held in Monterrey, Mexico during the month of May, 2008.