United Mexican States
Mexico runs one of the largest regulated gambling markets in Latin America on a statute written in 1947. The Federal Gaming and Raffles Law prohibits games of chance except as permitted, and the 2004 Regulations let the Gambling and Raffles Bureau, inside the Ministry of the Interior, authorise the capture of bets over the internet as an extension of a land-based casino or sportsbook permit. There is no standalone online licence, so entry means working through an existing permit holder, and the market has developed around a limited set of long-dated permits rather than open licensing. That structure gives incumbents durable leverage and makes permit access, rather than regulatory approval in the ordinary sense, the practical barrier to entry. The headline change is fiscal. The IEPS on games with wagers went from 30% to 50% on 1 January 2026 and now reaches foreign operators serving Mexican users, roughly doubling the federal tax burden in a single step and extending it beyond the domestic permit structure for the first time. State-level taxes sit on top. Whether the licensed market absorbs that increase or cedes ground to offshore supply is the open question, and it is being tested now rather than in prospect.
Federal Gaming and Raffles Law
Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos
Regulations of the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law
Reglamento de la Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos
DGJS permit (permiso) for land-based casino or sportsbook, with remote-betting annex
The 50 per cent IEPS is the story for the next twelve months: whether it holds, whether foreign operators register and comply, and what it does to channelisation and to the economics of the permit-holder model. The November 2023 reform of the Regulations is still being litigated, and the permit-annex structure remains the single biggest barrier to entry.
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez told the president's morning conference that a reform of the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law, unchanged in substance for nearly eight decades, has cleared internal review and goes next to the security cabinet. Its purpose is money laundering and tax fraud in casinos and betting shops, about 20 of which are under investigation.
One of online gambling's most recognisable crypto brands has planted its flag in one of Latin America's fastest-growing regulated markets. With the World Cup arriving in Mexico this summer, the timing is no accident.
Mexico is considering a new restriction on gambling advertising that would block betting and casino promotion during family viewing hours and before 10:30pm, as lawmakers cite concerns about youth exposure and misleading messaging ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Mexican authorities have suspended operations at 13 casinos following a months-long investigation into a sophisticated money laundering ring. Officials allege
Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union
Orden Juridico Nacional, Gobierno de Mexico
Gobierno de Mexico
ICLG (International Comparative Legal Guides)