Authorities in Mexico and Bolivia intensified enforcement actions against illegal gambling during June 2026 through operations that resulted in the destruction of slot machines, the seizure of poker tables and the identification of individuals operating unauthorized gaming establishments. The cases reflect a broader regional trend toward stricter oversight of unlicensed gambling activities.
In Mexico, the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced on June 10, 2026, the destruction of 279 slot machines linked to 75 criminal investigation files and two preliminary investigations in the state of Colima. The operation was carried out by the Specialized Regional Control Prosecutor’s Office (FECOR) with the participation of the Internal Control Body of the FGR, the Federal Ministerial Police (PFM) and forensic specialists.
The procedure also included the incineration of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine at Club Cinegético Colimán, located along the Colima–Manzanillo highway. The FGR, led by Ernestina Godoy Ramos, presented the action as part of its strategy to combat federal crimes and dismantle illegal activities associated with clandestine establishments. Administrative oversight of gambling activities in Mexico falls under the Directorate General of Games and Sweepstakes (DGJS) of the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), headed by Leonardo Manuel Figueroa Martínez under Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez.
Leonardo Manuel Figueroa Martinez
In Bolivia, the Gaming Supervision Authority (AJ) led by Dra. Melissa Joseline Sánchez Gisbert conducted an operation on June 2, 2026, in Cochabamba, where inspectors intervened in a venue offering gambling activities without authorization. Authorities confiscated a poker table adapted for gaming purposes and identified the individual responsible for the establishment. Days earlier, on May 25, another operation in Sacaba, also in Cochabamba Department, resulted in the seizure of a second poker table and gaming equipment, while 14 individuals present at the venue were identified.
The operations were carried out by the AJ, an entity under the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance led by José Gabriel Espinoza Yáñez. The authority based its actions on Law No. 060 on Lottery and Games of Chance, enacted in 2010, which requires licensing for gambling activities and authorizes the confiscation of equipment used in illegal operations.
José Gabriel Espinoza Yáñez
The enforcement actions are particularly significant because they occurred shortly after the entry into force of Law No. 1733 on Tax Relief on May 27, 2026. While the new legislation eliminated prior authorization requirements for promotional campaigns and commercial prize draws, it left intact the AJ’s powers to pursue illegal gambling operations.
Intensified enforcement against illegal slot machines, unauthorized poker operations and underground gambling businesses will remain a priority throughout 2026, supported by coordination among regulators, prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies to protect the integrity of the legal gaming market.
