Online Casinos in Mexico
Gambling in the Mexico is legal, with approximately 130 million inhabitants and 32 federative states, 6 of which border the United States of America, is currently regulated by the Federal Law of for gambling games and draws of the states of Mexico which provides authority to regulatory bodies such as the General Directorate of Games and Sweepstakes and the Government Secretariat (SEGOB). This law was first enacted in 1947 and, despite being last amended in October 2013, many commentators believe that the country would benefit from greater reform of the regulations governing the betting industry, especially in relation to online fully licensed casinos and licensing in Mexico, and it is thought that this will come to pass with the Federal Games and Sweepstakes Act before the end of the current legislature in August 2018.
Legal Online Casinos in Mexico
There are many foreign online operators offering their services in Mexico with websites in Spanish and using pesos as a payment currency. Such platforms offer sports betting and licensed casino games of all kinds, slot machines and slots, such as roulettes, dice games and card games such as blackjack, poker and baccarat and others like scratch cards and keno. They also organise card games and live tournaments, are available to play via a PC, mobile devices such as a tablet or Smartphone and offer their players bonuses such as, for example, a welcome bonus.
Gambling Games in Mexico
Mexico benefits from a comparatively wide selection of slots, included in the list below are some of the most played: Mega Moolah Progressive, Cash Splash 5 Reel, Cricket Star, Deck The Halls, Treasure Nile Progressive, Dragon Dance, Fruit Fiesta 5 Reel, Forbidden Throne, King Cashalot, Harveys and Hellboy. These are slot machines with varied themes and different numbers of reels, as well as different bonus options.
Gambling Legislation
In Mexico the following forms of legal gambling and betting are permitted: betting on racecourses, dog racing, frontones/pediments, in fairs, horse races and cock fights, in addition to sweepstakes and lotteries, including machine raffles with numbers or symbols. It should be noted that Mexican regulation prohibited slot machines and sports betting in any way until 2005 and so the inclusion of an annex to the Federal Games and Sweepstakes Act involved effectively created a new market for legal gambling for slot machines and sports betting from that year. Online casinos are also regulated by amendments to the law and the lack of clarity in its provisions permits the Mexican online gambling games to be played both nationally and international.
Regulators
At present, the bodies responsible for regulating the business of the games of luck and chance in the territories of the United States of Mexico are the General Directorate of Games and Sweepstakes and the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), which in accordance with the Federal Game and Sweepstakes Act and its Rules of Procedure, issues permits for betting games and sweepstakes under the regulations, supervises and monitors licenced casinos and other gambling establishments and ensures compliance of the established terms and conditions of their licenses, in addition to attending to any allegations of illegal gambling and collaborating with other institutions to prevent illegal gambling. In addition, there is also the advisory board of games and sweepstakes the objective of which is to ensure that public policies relating to the transparency and accountability of games of chance are adhered to so that the games' reputation for fairness is not tarnished or diminished thus protecting the trustworthiness of licensed casinos and other betting establishments. It should be noted, that the proposed federal law of games and sweepstakes which is likely to be approved in 2018 will create the National Institute of Games and Sweepstakes, which should become the regulatory body for the sector complete with its own independent body of inspectors.
Gambling Licensing
Obtaining licenses to operate 'remote betting centres' and/or 'number drawing rooms' (licensed casinos), i.e. establishments where gambling and gambling are organized and held, and to install slot machines, is regulated by the Articles 20 and 21 of regulation the Federal Law of Games and Sweepstakes, which dictate the obligation to obtain strictly one permit per establishment and to open them not less than 200 meters away from any institution of education and places of public worship, as well as the requirement of a favourable opinion of a federal entity, municipality or delegation. The requesting body must provide exhaustive information of each member of the company and must adequately respond to any questions regarding the necessary requirements via the General Directorate of Games and Sweepstakes website.
Development of the Gaming Market in Mexico
The Mexican authorities have as their mission for the near future the enacting of clear and precise regulations to contribute to the legal and controlled gaming and the development of solid, trustworthy and transparent administration of the industry. The prospects for the development of the gaming industry in the country are extremely promising, given its proximity to the USA as well as the population of Mexico, being 130 million inhabitants, with a significant percentage of which living in rural areas without internet access but which will soon be connected to the internet, the use of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones internet connections have meant the expansion of the market, which in turn will involve the opening of new online casinos, therefore, competition and, consequently, better conditions in the form of promotions, variety of games and ease of access. The draft of the new Federal Law of Games and Sweepstakes promises the further clarity of the regulations regarding online operators and their rights and obligations. The Mexican gaming market benefits from considerable input and competition from foreign software developers, such as Microgaming, and although slot machines as a market sector is not yet fully mature there are also Mexican developers making progress in this field, such as Caraquita games, Immersion games (of Colombian origin), Virtual Motoring, Snake & Eagle Studios and DimTV.
Gambling in Mexico past, present and future - Gambling games, or games of luck and chance, as they are preferred to be known in Mexico, have long been an integral part of much of culture in Mexico prior to the Hispanic era, although the arrival of the Spaniards brought with it the introduction of card games, cock fighting, raffles and lotteries of all kinds, all of which are still much enjoyed today in the country, especially cock fighting. By 1770 the Royal General Lottery of the New Spain had already been established and with the independence of Mexico these past times continued within the culture. In the twentieth century, in part thanks to Prohibition laws in the United States of America, the casinos arrived along with hippodromes and gambling houses, mainly located in states bordering the USA. Finally, despite certain prohibitions, in 1947 the Federal Games and Sweepstakes Act was enacted converted the Ministry of the Interior into a regulatory body for games of luck and chance, and in 1955 the first betting permit was granted in Mexico for gambling. Currently, Mexico has many establishments and gambling houses, among which are also hippodromes and dog tracks. While online casinos are in the process of expansion, today's market is still dominated by the National Lottery. The gambling industry in Mexico is extremely fluid in the present day and the legislator seems to be doing all it can to keep up with developments and provide legal protections for both investors and customers to the market. In this respect, the future certainly seems bright for this growing industry.
