Colombia’s gambling market is losing the man who helped guide the country to becoming the first South American market to formally legalize and regulate online play.

This week, Juan B. Pérez Hidalgo, president of Colombia’s gambling regulatory body Coljuegos, relinquished the role he’s held for nearly five years. Taking his place is César Augusto Valencia, administrator at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla and a business graduate of Pennsylvania’s Drexel University, although a man with no obvious gambling experience.

Some Colombian media outlets had reported that Perez’s time was running short over a month ago. Those outlets also said Perez has been asked to vacate the role by Minister of Finance Alberto Carrasquilla Barrera for unspecified ‘political’ reasons.

During Perez’s tenure, Colombia approved online gambling legislation in 2016 and issued its first online license to Aquila Global’s Wplay.co site the following year. A flood of other operators soon followed, with Grupo Vinnare becoming the 18th licensee late last year (although only 16 platforms are currently active).