Online poker is becoming a significant industry, and while some may think the United States is the only country taking advantage of this opportunity, this is not the case. Online poker is exploding in all corners of the world, including the United States’ southern neighbor. Online poker is legal in Mexico, and many individuals and companies are looking to expand the online poker business in Mexico. Mexico is already a big tourist destination for its beaches, culture, and historical landmarks. But it also has a local community which, as much as others, enjoys a good game of poker. So, while Mexico is more known for its beaches and resorts, if things continue down the current trajectory, Mexico could become a beacon for people looking to play online poker.
Below, we will look into the online poker popularity in Mexico, its legality, and the popularity of offshore sportsbooks.
Legality/popularity of online poker in Mexico
As mentioned, online poker is legal in Mexico, and in fact, there is very little regulation in this industry. The government is not heavily involved in the industry, so this opens the door for many opportunities both for the players and the companies currently operating in Mexico or looking to expand into Mexico. With these lax rules, people within the country are beginning to gravitate toward the game. Also, people looking to make a career in online poker may start to look toward Mexico as a viable option for those in LA due to the difficulty they may have in playing online poker real money in California.
People like to get involved with things that do not have too many rules. With this lack of oversight by the government, players have open access to these sites and the ability to do as they please as long as it does not violate any other law. This lax approach, in turn, invites many new local players, and seeing as how poker has always been a popular game to play in Mexico, the amount of players looking for immediate access is high.
The only issue the industry will run into is a good proportion of the country still does not have access to the Internet. This disparity limits the amount of people who will be able to access the online poker world. But like many other nations, Mexico is working to expand the amount of people with internet access. So, in time, more people will look to switch from the poker they play at the kitchen table to the poker they can find on their phone or computer.
Legality/Popularity of offshore poker and casino
Regarding casinos, there is more of a gray area in this sector. There are more regulations in this industry than online poker. While casinos are not illegal outright, they are subject to specific rules. Luckily, poker is allowed in casinos, and it, along with casinos, is a popular pastime for tourists and locals alike. Many people come to Mexico for vacation, and one of the many things they would look to do on a vacation is play a game at the casino.
The only thing preventing this industry from reaching new heights is perception. For many years, casinos and gambling were illegal. So it will take time for attitudes to change toward the game, but also for tourists who may not be sure if gambling or casinos are now legal. But this means the upside to this industry is high, and once these perceptions and attitudes change, more people will find their way into the walls of casinos.
When it comes to offshore poker again, this is legal as well. As mentioned earlier, there is little regulation on the online poker industry. So, there is not much in the way of people using offshore poker sites to achieve their desires of playing poker. So, with casino and in-person poker already popular in Mexico, offshore options would be just as considerable a thought in most online poker players’ minds.
Conclusion
Mexico’s staple as a tourist destination has been rising in stocks for the past few decades. This designation, in turn, invites many different businesses into the country and opens the door for new ventures. One of those ventures has been online poker. People like to play a good game of poker, but people may not always want to go to a casino just to enjoy a game of poker, so those people will look toward the online world. With this still being a new thing, the government has not gotten involved in the industry, so while there are few rules, some players will find this more attractive as there will not be tedious rules or regulations getting in the way of someone looking to enjoy some fun. Whether using a local Mexican site or an offshore poker site, this is all legal and available to the public.
