Increasing Industry Pressure for Mexico to Revamp Gambling Regulations

(AsiaGameHub) –   As long-awaited updates to Mexico’s gambling regulatory system remain unresolved, industry players are pushing authorities to speed up developments and deliver the much-needed clarity the sector has been waiting for.

The majority of Mexico’s gambling industry is governed by laws that are almost eight decades old, even though regulatory changes were anticipated to take place this year.

However, as the 2026 World Cup—co-hosted by Mexico—approaches, it appears very improbable that a revised regulatory framework will be in place before the tournament kicks off in June.

Miguel Ángel Ochoa Sánchez, head of the Mexican Association for Permit Holders, Operators and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry (AIEJA), notes that the market is currently “not regulated enough”, particularly when it comes to the online segment.

Ochoa and AIEJA had expected a revised framework to be presented to the legislature during its first 2026 session (concluding on April 30), but he believes other matters have taken precedence.

In a recent interview with iGB, when queried about the exact timing of the updated regulations, Ochoa stated: “This is a question all of us are asking. Back in December 2024, President Sheinbaum publicly declared the necessity for a new Federal Law on Games and Raffles, assigning the Ministry of the Interior— the regulatory authority— to draft a bill for legislative consideration.

“In the first quarter of 2025, the Ministry organized working groups and invited the entire gaming industry to join these topic-specific panels to enhance the proposal. But since then, there has been no progress. We continue to wait, with no insight into what is supposed to be the final draft of the bill.”

Ochoa Sánchez argues that the industry has been stuck in a state of uncertainty.

Obsolete regulations hindering growth in Mexico

Ed Birkin, Managing Director of H2 Gambling Capital, cautions that the absence of “formal, current regulation” is leading to reduced investment in the market, even though it has significant potential.

Alfredo Lazcano and Andrea Avedillo Builla from Mexican law firm Lazcano Sámano concur that the outdated regulatory system is limiting the market’s capacity to grow and mature.

They also point out that SEGOB, the regulatory body, has fallen short in communicating with the market, noting: “Over the past two years, the regulator has not maintained a very active or consistent dialogue with the industry.

“To be frank, that lack of interaction is not usually a sign of a completely thriving market.”

In their opinion, the market’s future path will “mostly rely on whether regulatory bodies work toward better coordination and offer the clarity the industry has long been expecting”.