Mexico City, October 20, 2026. Mexico's casino and betting industry supports approximately 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, while the Mexican Association of Gaming Permit Holders, Operators and Suppliers (AIEJA) is calling for the modernization of the country's 1947 gambling legislation through comprehensive regulation aimed at strengthening investment, combating illegal gambling, and establishing nationwide responsible gaming mechanisms.
According to AIEJA, chaired by Miguel Ángel Ochoa Sánchez, Mexico has 423 authorized casinos across 30 federal entities, supporting more than 60,000 direct jobs. The broader gaming industry accounts for approximately 0.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with around 80 legal online betting platforms and more than 100,000 authorized gaming machines. Ricardo Barraza, AIEJA's Director of Communications and Institutional Relations, highlighted the industry's economic importance through contracts with domestic suppliers of technology, security, maintenance, cleaning, and food services, alongside investments in infrastructure and modernization.
Ricardo Barraza
Meanwhile, the association presented a responsible gaming agenda built around four pillars: regulation, prevention, education, and technology. Its proposals include strengthening age verification, preventing minors from accessing gambling, establishing deposit and time limits, implementing self-exclusion registries, and using algorithms to detect risky gambling behavior.
The initiative calls for cooperation among authorities, operators, educational institutions, families, and mental health specialists. AIEJA also warned about the expansion of illegal gambling platforms and cyberattacks involving artificial intelligence and deepfakes, which have reportedly affected more than half of Mexican gaming operators.
Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez
Regulatory oversight falls under the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), headed by Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, through the General Directorate of Games and Lotteries, pursuant to the 1947 Federal Gaming and Lotteries Law and its implementing regulations.
On taxation, the reform published on November 7, 2025, increased the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) applicable to gambling and lotteries from 30% to 50%, effective January 2026. Its administration falls under the Tax Administration Service (SAT), overseen by the Ministry of Finance.
