Mexican Race Wagering

Race wagering is legal in Mexico. There are on- and offtrack betting facilities. Separate permits are required to operate gaming machines. One of the largest operators of legal betting parlors is Televisa, which also operates lotteries. Televisa was granted permits to open 65 offtrack betting parlors in June 2006, after receiving authorization from Carlos Abascal, head of the Department of the Interior, in December 2005.

In January 2008, the Superior Auditing Company of the Federation (ASF) and Secretary of the Public Functions (SFP) began analyzing licenses granted by SEGOB. At least 23 of the licenses granted each grantee the right to open multiple facilities. This prompted the ASF and SFP to revise their procedures for the authorization of licenses.