Gambling Laws in Mexico

The Mexican gambling legislation is composed of various documents, the most fundamental being the Federal  Gaming and Draws Law from 1947 (Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos) amended in 2015, as well as under the Regulations of the Federal Gaming and Draws Law from 2004, amended in 2013 and 2014. According to these laws gambling in Mexico is prohibited unless authorized by the General Bureau of Gaming and Draws (Direccion General de Juegos y Sorteos) within the Mexican Ministry of Internal Affairs. Online gambling in the country is considered to unregulated as there is no legal definition of online gambling. However, as of February 2019, some betting operators have been authorized by the General Bureau and the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) to legally offer betting online.  The entity responsible for the regulation of the gambling activities in the country is the General Bureau of Gaming and Draws, supervising both land-based and online gambling. The Gaming Bureau is part of the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB). It was created by the Internal Regulations of SEGOB (Articles 2 and 16) and is attached to the Government Unit working under the Sub-minister of Interior (Article 11). According to Mexican gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Mexico? Most forms of online gambling are unregulated. Online betting is, however, legal.

Online Casinos in Mexico

There are plenty of licensed land-based casino operators in the country, as of September 2018, but none of them has launched an online casino in Mexico, authorized under the laws of this country. Due to the illegal status of online gambling which is not licensed by the Mexican authorities foreign internet casino sites are not legally accessible from Mexico.

Online Poker in Mexico

Poker in Mexico is legal and part of the offer of all of the licensed land-based casinos. In the Gaming Regulations, Article 63 also establishes that gambling card games are permitted in regional fairs. Regarding online poker, however, there are no specific Mexican online poker laws. There are also no specialized, licensed, online poker sites in Mexico, as of February 2019. Foreign online poker sites are actively being blocked from the authorities of the country.

Online lottery in Mexico

Lotería Nacional (National Lottery for Public Assistance), formed back in the 18 century is the state licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country. Currently some of the most popular online lotto games they offer include Mayor, De Diez, as well as Zodiaco. However, as of February 2019, the national lottery has not launched an online lottery in Mexico. Foreign online lotto sites are actively being blocked by the authorities of the country.

Online bingo in Mexico

There are no specific Mexican online bingo laws. However, the general regulations obtain and this game is also considered to be illegal unless offered by a licensed provider. As of February 2019, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Mexico. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, cannot be legally accessed from the country.

Online sports betting in Mexico

Online sports betting in the country is regulated with specific acts being currently the only form of online gaming legally available in Mexico. Highly ranked among the most popular online sportsbook sites in Mexico is the Caliente.mx sportsbook. This site offers diverse possibilities for betting, including personalized betting options. Foreign internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.

Online daily fantasy sports in Mexico

Online DFS sites in Mexico do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Mexico.