Mexican Casino and Card Room Gaming

Casino gaming in Mexico is expressly forbidden in the first article of the Federal Law of Games and Draws of 1947. However, the same law mentions an opportunity for games with bets to be allowed at the discretion of the Secretaria de Gobernación (SEGOB). Initially, permission for such games was rarely granted. But the situation changed over time, and eventually, Class II machines and converted Class III machines began operating in hundreds of gaming properties throughout the country.

The Mexican government has attempted to gain control of its casino industry numerous times in the last decade. Its latest effort began in early 2015, when the government began pushing for legislation that would authorize resorts to build casinos. The goal behind this legislative push is to make sure new casinos are built to attract tourists, not locals.

In 2013, Mexico banned slot machines. It also stopped gaming license owners from renting out their permits to other operators. However, slot machines operating in casinos were legalized during the six-year term of President Felipe Calderón and endorsed in 2016 by a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Justice.

Bills that would have banned gaming parlors near schools and churches, banned the operation of slot machines in stores and pharmacies, and created a new tax structure for the remaining operators failed to pass in 2009 and 2010.

In September 2023, Mexico's Ministry of the Interior released a preliminary decree through the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement, proposing the prohibition of wagering or gaming on electronic devices including slot machines, bingo, and card simulators, among others.

This reform aims to reduce the number of slot machines significantly, potentially leading to the closure of many gambling halls.

In June 2024, a federal judge declared the slot machine ban unconstitutional, which could potentially alter the enforcement of this regulation.