Gambling and Casinos in Mexico

Online Casinos and Games in Mexico

The latest reform of the Federal Gaming and Lottery Law does not include online casinos, and in 2014 a draft was submitted to the national congress that relates to this sector, but it was not approved, so there is currently a legal vacuum. and lack of control in this industry.

Due to this situation, there are online operators in the country that have a national license issued by the Minister of the Interior and other internationally licensed casinos that may be in Malta or Curaçao, to name just two examples.

Legal online casinos in Mexico include Codere or Caliente, but there are also such prestigious operators as Betway, Betfair, Bet365, Strendus, 22Bet or Bodog.

In addition, these online operators have the most prestigious developers in the industry such as MGA, NetENT, Playtech or Microgaming. For this reason, there is a wide catalog of games at legal online casinos in Mexico.

There are slots like Big Juan, Spinata Grande, Golden Eggs, Book of Dead and also jackpots on games like Dark Woods, Ruler of The Dead, Mega Moolah or Jackpot Giant. There are also several table game options, Dragon Tiger or Casino Hold'em Poker stand out among them.

Bingo is not to be missed as there are many titles from online operators such as Golmania as well as keno variants and arcade games.

All online operators you will find at ChoiceCasino are legal in Mexico and have a national or international license.

Live Casinos in Mexico

Among this legal vacuum of online operators in Mexico, the best live casino developers such as Betgamestv, Pragmatic Play, Evolution or Playtech are present, so the main games are available for players to enjoy.

Several online operators have the option to play live dealer casinos in Mexico, but we can highlight Caliente, Codere, 888 Casino, Bodog, Betway, Bet365, Betfair or Strendus which have the best games with high streaming quality.

Live casino games include Fireblaze Roulette Live, Quantum Roulette, Spread Bet Roulette, All Bets Blackjack, Spin and Win or Prestige Roulette, just to name a few of the most popular.

Bitcoin Casinos in Mexico

More and more people are joining the world of cryptocurrencies and Mexico is no exception, so there are several online casinos where you can bet with bitcoin or other currencies. This option appears with online operators such as Netbet, Betway, Casino.com, 1Xbet or Ganabet.

In addition, there are other lesser known online casinos that offer BTC bonuses such as Oshi, Bit Starz, Rocketpot or King Billy, but at ChoiceCasino it is always a good idea to check all aspects of online operators before playing.

Land-Based Casinos and Slot Halls in Mexico

Casinos in Mexico are administered by the Directorate General of Games and Lotteries, which is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. This body is responsible for everything related to the industry, including issuing licenses to operate gambling halls.

All establishments have a large number of slot machines, in addition to game rooms such as poker, blackjack, craps or roulette. In Mexican casinos, the presence of equestrian sports also stands out.

There are currently 850 game rooms authorized in Mexico, but only 379 are operational, so this sector can still continue to grow with room for 471 rooms. As far as companies are concerned, the government has issued 37 permits and there are currently no intentions to increase this list.

Since the 2000s, the gambling sector has been consolidating, with the opening of new casinos in the country, especially in tourist areas, but it is worth noting that legally there are states in which licenses are not valid, for which gambling halls cannot be opened.

Regarding the geographical location of the casinos, it can be noted that the federal entity, which has the most places, is Baja California with 44 halls, followed by the capital Mexico City with 35 halls, and Nueva Leon closes the top three with 33. For its part, Sonora has 32 gaming halls, 29 in Jalisco, 28 in Mexico State and 21 in Veracruz, which are the seven regions with the most rooms.

TOP Mexican Casinos

Casinos in Mexico under the control of SEGOB are located in luxury hotels and other large establishments. It is an industry with very strong tourism potential in a country like Mexico that attracts thousands of visitors to its cities and beaches every year.

The gaming industry creates thousands of jobs in Mexico, and the most important casinos include the Royal Yak at the Hippodrome de las Americas in Mexico City, which is considered the largest and most important in the country due to the number of machines. and all special events.

The Royal Yak, which belongs to the Codere Group, in addition to slot machines or table games, has a real hippodrome on its premises. Other highlights include the Casino Palace and Dubai Palace in Cancun, the Gran Dunas Casino in Chihuahua, the Jubilee Casino in Monterrey, which stands out for having the official World Series of Poker poker room in Mexico, the Iberostar Grand. Paraíso in Playa Paraiso, Caliente Tecamachalco as well as two casinos in Mexico City such as Casino Life Del Valle and Play City just to name a few because you have many options.

What Casino Games do Mexicans Prefer

Like the rest of Latin America, Mexicans are passionate about the lottery. In this country, both the National Lottery and the Mexican Lottery are in high demand and are respected throughout the territory.

In addition, horse racing is also part of the most popular bets of Mexicans, for this reason a large number of racetracks stand out, one of which is located in the Royal Yak Casino, the largest in Mexico.

When it comes to gambling, Mexicans mostly prefer slot machines. According to 2019 data from the Association of Licensed Operators and Providers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry in Mexico, there are more than 100,000 machines throughout the country, which are the most important source of income for casinos, since they represent more than 80% of the amounts that are processed, in addition, most of them are occupied by women over 50 years old.

For their part, table games such as poker, roulette and blackjack account for 12% of the gaming floor earnings, although this figure should no doubt continue to rise due to the interest generated by poker, especially among the youngest.

Bingo is not to be ignored, although it has fallen out of favor in the gambling halls, while sports betting, both in-person and online, is gaining momentum in Mexico, especially in football. Online games are also gaining more and more fans every day, both for online casinos, arcade games, and click-to-earn, just to name a few.

Gambling contribution to the Mexican economy

The gambling industry generates significant resources for the Mexican state through tax collection. Nothing else for the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS), the treasury introduces an amount in excess of 4 thousand 700 million pesos, this figure corresponds to the 30% that operators are required to pay by law.

In addition, there is another 2% that gambling halls have to pay to the Ministry of the Interior for the rights generated by the prizes. States and municipalities also have their own taxes, which are around 6%.

In total, the sector contributes over $500 million a year in taxes on top of all the investments they make. These amounts will be higher if a new law is passed that fully regulates online gaming and sports betting, which the casino industry has been fighting for.

Taxes paid by Players in Mexico

In Mexico, the payment that players must make is specified in the Income Tax Law. It is in Article 175 that it is stated that any resident of the country must cancel 21% of the profits received in draws, table games, draws and lotteries.

All casinos and legal online operators licensed by SEGOB fall under this list, so this tax applies to any winnings at these casinos, be it bingo, slots or table games.

This amount also applies to sports betting, both online and in real places, because there is no bigger difference in the law. Given this situation, all games of chance that operate legally in the territory of Mexico with the permission of SEGOB are subject to this article. For its part, with regard to the lottery, in most cases the treasury tax is deducted directly from the prize.

Self-Exclusion and Prevention of Pathological Gambling in Mexico

In Mexico, the government is actively working to prevent problems with gambling. There is an Interdepartmental Group for the Prevention and Treatment of Pathological Gambling, made up of various organizations that are responsible for conducting radio programs, courses, seminars, informational talks, and telephone assistance.

In institutions Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), Ministry of Public Education, National Commission for the Fight against Drug Addiction, National Center for the Prevention and Control of Drug Addiction, NAU Department of Psychology, Association of License Holders and Providers of Games and Lotteries, Association of License Holders, Operators and Industry Providers entertainment and gambling in Mexico, the Mexican Federation of Gamblers, or the Center for Gambling and Integral Growth, to name but a few.

The regulator's page juegosysorteos.gob.mx has a link to access the various associations. In addition, on this website, anyone can access to communicate directly with representatives of the General Directorate of Games and Lotteries, as there is a 24-hour contact number: 800 911 2000.

There are also emails for claims or requests. These organizations can help problem players and, in some cases, put them on self-exclusion.

It is worth noting that each institution has special events, such as the Mexican Federation of Players at Risk (FEMEJURI), which has a Player Attention Program.

Physical casinos and online operators encourage responsible gambling, and in the case of online bookmakers, they offer the possibility of setting limits as well as self-exclusion or suspension. Similarly, there are not only national organizations in Mexico, but also other world-famous organizations such as GamCare or GambleAware.

History of Gambling in Mexico

The first casinos in Mexico were opened in the early 20th century, as in the case of Rosario Beach in Tijuana, the Foreign in Mexico City, or the La Selva casino in Cuernavaca, but with gambling banned in the United States. in 1919 the industry experienced a great boom in the country.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Mexican government took advantage of this situation in the United States to promote the establishment of new casinos and racetracks along the border with the United States, especially in the states of Mexicali, Ciudad Juarez, California, and Tijuana.

Then, in the 1940s, a decree was issued in Mexico to abolish casinos, but in 1947, under the presidency of Miguel Alemán, the Law on Games and Draws was passed, which is still in force today. In this law, which gave the first regulation to the sector, the Ministry of the Interior was given the right to control and regulate everything related to games and casinos.

The first gambling permits were issued in 1955, and in 1989 one of the largest casino chains, Caliente, opened. For its part, a provision of the Law on Games and Lotteries was created in 2004, which later in 2013 amended some articles, but some aspects were omitted, so there is a legal vacuum that does not allow the industry to develop. .

For this reason, for many years, representatives of the sector have been asking for a new law that is in line with the new times and takes into account everything related to online gambling, but no progress has been made in this regard.

Despite the legal challenges, the sector has seen significant growth over the past 20 years, both in physical casinos and online operators, in addition to a boom in sports betting.

There are large casinos in luxury hotels, as well as a large number of gaming rooms, and the Internet has the main developers and operators of the industry, although the new law is expected to give it the boost that the industry needs for its consolidation.

Features of the Mexican Gaming Industry

Mexico has one of the most important gaming industries in Latin America. There are 379 rooms and more than 100,000 slot machines across the country, a testament to the strength of the sector.

Casinos are under the supervision and control of the General Directorate of Games and Lotteries, which is an agency of the Ministry of the Interior. 850 gambling halls are allowed, so there is still a chance that new establishments will be established.

Permits have been issued to 37 companies, so they are authorized to open casinos, although legally there are still many states in Mexico that do not allow the installation of gambling halls.

The regulation of gambling in Mexico dates back to December 31, 1947, when the Federal Law on Games and Lotteries was passed, which has not changed to this day. In this decree, the Ministry of the Interior was given control and regulation of everything related to this casino and the betting industry, which today is in the hands of an agency dependent on it, the General Directorate of Games and Lotteries.

In 2004, positive changes took place in the industry, as the Regulations of the Federal Law “On Games and Lotteries” were published, which was reformed in 2013. were subsequently introduced to improve and consolidate the sector, but this is a task that is still not completed in Mexico.

This legal issue has prevented the industry from further developing, although Mexico has a large number of casinos located in luxury hotels and other large facilities. In terms of online games, licenses have been delivered to various operators, which has contributed to growth in recent years.

As far as online casinos are concerned, in Mexico you can find the main operators in this sector. Given the legal problem that exists in the country, there are operators with a national license and others with an international permit.

The main legal casinos in Mexico are located at ChoiceCasino. Reviews and opinions of other players also appear on the network, in addition, you can leave your own experience in these game rooms.

ChoiceCasino is not responsible for the services provided by legal casinos in Mexico, as well as the opinion of the players in their reviews. If a player has a problem, they should visit the website of the Mexican regulatory body juegosysorteos.gob.mx to get the information and attention they need.