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.

Recent efforts have relied less on new primary legislation and more on tightening regulations and decrees, with an emphasis on restricting new slot deployments, limiting permit terms and ensuring that licensed venues operate under stricter oversight.

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.

The 2023 decree also eliminated the “sub-licensor” structure, meaning only primary permit holders can operate gaming establishments, not third-party operators.

The legal status of slot machines remains in flux due to ongoing court challenges. Existing permit holders may continue operating slot machines until their permits expire, but no new permits for slot operations are being issued.