The casino in Mexico is working following the norms of the Federal Gaming and Lottery Law (Ley Federal de Juegos Y Sorteos, then the Law). The regulation of the gambling market in the country is engaged in the Direccion General de Juegos Y Sorteos (from now on – the Main Directorate of Games and Rice or Management) working under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación).
The initial version of the law allowed exclusively the national lottery, chess, checkers, races, ball games, bowling, billiards, and all sports games. The rest of the entertainment was banned. If you want to start playing today, pay attention to the best online casino ratings. With the development of the gambling market, the ministry issued regulations helping management regulate online resources.
Regulation of Casino in Mexico
In 1947, the President of Mexico signed a law that granted the Main Directorate of Games the authority to regulate, allow and control games related to bets and lotteries. The management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Mexico (from now on – the Ministry) is in charge of the control.
The ministry issued the appropriate additions to Reglamento de la ley federal de Juegos y Sorteos to regulate the work of virtual gambling establishments in the country. Following these amendments, the management is responsible for regulation, sectioning, control, and monitoring of games with rates for money and draws. The exception is the national lottery, which is directly regulated by the law.
The norms of the law are mandatory for implementation throughout the territory of Mexico (31 states and one federal district). On adjacent issues in the field of gambling, the following norms are applied: laws “On Protection of Consumer Rights,” “On Protection of Personal Data,” general legislation on healthcare, and federal and local taxes. The distribution of any gambling not foreseen by law articles or amendments is adopted privately by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Mexico.
There are no specific legal norms in the country that can be applied to gambling institutions on the Internet if foreign operators offer them. But the authorities consider the direct activity of a casino with cross licenses illegal. The legislation of Mexico provides for the possibility of cooperation between commissions with companies registered in the country. Private persons have the right to make transactions not prohibited by Mexican law.
Licensing of Online Casinos in Mexico
The management has the right to issue a license only for allowed gambling:
- automatic machines;
- roulette;
- card games;
- bingo;
- bets on sports and random events;
- lottery.
Only Mexican legal entities can apply for a license.
A company with a physical institution and permission to open a gambling institution in Mexico (now referred to as the license holder) has the right to enter into partnerships with an unlicensed person (from now on, referred to as the operator), including foreigners. The operator must comply with the legislation of Mexico. The license holder and the operator, with permission issued in a foreign jurisdiction, can organize a joint venture to open an online casino in Mexico.
Responsible gaming in Mexico
All casinos in Mexico encourage responsible gaming and have the opportunity to set limits on bets and self-exclusion from a casino. In addition, international organizations in this country contribute to the fight against a problem game, such as Gambleauare, Gamcare, or Gamblers Anonymous from Mexico.
