Latin America's gaming regulations and rules are inconsistent. This includes Mexico, where gambling is legal but not expressly regulated. This is the case for both online and offline establishments.
While Mexico has a long history of gambling, it is only since 2000 that the government took steps that saw the country embrace the 21st gambling ideas.
The law was amended last in 2014, but the amendments were insufficient and so, domestic growth of the online gaming market was quite uncertain.
Mexicans continue to gamble for real money online via both smartphones and desktops.
Residents of Mexico have a plethora of choices when it comes to selecting the best online casinos.
There are numerous offshore real money online gaming sites, that warmly welcome Mexican player. Some even accept the pesos, but other major currencies like the US dollar are accepted.
Many online casinos accept Mexican online gamblers. There are safe places to play for real money, and players also get to choose from a wide variety of games, and multiple payment methods.
Some of these are:
TWIN CASINO
Bonus offers here include a 2x match up of up to 100%, capped at €100 + 2x 50 Free Spins that gamers can use on the slot, Starstruck.
The casinos game portfolio includes games from top developers like Microgaming, NetEnt, Novomatic, Play n GO, Pragmatic Play, Push Gaming, Quickspin, Red Tiger, Thunderkick, and Yggdrasil.
OMNI SLOTS CASINO
Up to a 100% match up bonus is included in the welcome package. This is in addition to € 300 + 50 Free Spins on STARBURST.
Providers include Amatic, Betsoft, Big Time Gaming, Endorphina, Gamomat, Genesis Gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt, PariPlay, Quickspin, Rabcat, Stakelogic, and Wazdan.
VEGAS HERO CASINO
A good place to sample some bonuses, Vegas Hero casino offers as much as €1000 as part of the Deposit Bonus. This is accompanied by 50 Free Spins.
Among the providers present on this casino include Aristocrat, Big Time Gaming, ELK, Foxium, Gamomat, Kalamba, Microgaming, NetEnt, Nextgen Gaming, Play n GO, Quickspin, Rabcat, Red Tiger, Relax Gaming, and Yggdrasil.
CASINO CRUISE
With up to €200, plus 200 Free Spins as the welcome bonus, Mexican players can take advantage of this by registering and depositing here.
Top-rated game providers include NetEnt, Microgaming, Play n go. Red Tiger, and Quickspin.
YOJU CASINO
Yoju is quite generous with bonuses, new gamers here enjoy a 100% match up bonus capped at 500 Eur. A total of 120 Free Spins are also available.
Slot providers include Big Time Gaming, Blueprint, Booming Games, Booongo, EGT, ELK, Endorphina, Evoplay, GameArt, Habanero, IGT, iSoftBet, MrSlotty, Nolimit City, Playson, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Quickspin, Relax Gaming, Thunderkick, and Wazdan.
WILD TORNADO
Bonuses here include a €300 Welcome Pack that is accompanied by 150 Free Spins.
For the games, players will enjoy providers like 1x2 Gaming, Ainsworth, Amatic, Betsoft, BGaming, Big Time Gaming, Blueprint, Booming Games, ELK, Endorphina, Evoplay, Foxium, GameArt, Genesis Gaming, Iron Dog, iSoftBet, Lightning Box, Microgaming, NetEnt, Play n GO, Pragmatic Play, Quickspin, Rabcat, Red Rake, Red Tiger, Thunderkick, and Yggdrasil.
Authorities in Mexico acknowledge that online gambling is widespread in the nation, and there is no way to avoid it.
As with other countries that have progressively relaxed gambling restrictions, and enabled the industry to flourish for the benefit of their people, Mexico appears to be deliberating and progressing in this direction.
Online gambling is a hot topic in Mexico. In the recent past (2020), there have been encouraging signs of a more transparent approach to business in order to aid the economy's recovery from the terrible crisis that it suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
If the current government is successful in enacting a comprehensive gaming law, legal casino gambling may soon become a reality on Mexican soil. For now, Mexican gamblers can continue enjoying the industry via brick-and-mortar casinos and offshore sites.
Mexican gamblers can continue enjoying the industry via land-based casinos and offshore sites. You will have no difficulty accessing the Mexican online casinos that are located in other countries.
Your gaming experience needs NOT to go to waste, and you are in very capable hands with these sites.
The reality is that no enforceable laws will be put in place to prohibit international online casinos, However, the Draft Bill on Federal Gaming Law does make reference to gambling through electronic devices, via the internet.
Mexico gamblers have no reason to be concerned about not being able to bet online at offshore sites.
Mexicans, like residents of other nations, are drawn to high-stakes slots and progressive jackpot games. Players have an opportunity to make deposits and compete for million-dollar jackpots at the best-rated Mexican online casinos listed on this page.
Many online casinos that accept Mexicans allow players to place real money bets and deposits through different methods.
The nation of Mexico also has several banking options that are fully dedicated to local banking methods using pesos. These include:
Many online casinos that serve Mexican players also allow the use of credit cards. However, if for some reason a casino does not accept payments made via these cards, there are some other options.
Prepaid cards such as Todito Cash, come in handy and are an excellent alternative because they eliminate the need to exchange credit card information online. Prepaid cards may also be purchased in-store with cash.
Paysafecard is a well-known prepaid coupon scheme for online shopping. Paysafecard is also an excellent method of payment for online gaming transactions.
Mexicans can buy coupons at participating retailers located all over the country, or order top-up cards online. Additionally, you can purchase several vouchers.
To deposit funds into your gaming account, simply enter the Paysafecard voucher number in the corresponding field on your account dashboard. There are no transaction fees, and the minimum deposit amount is pretty low.
AstroPay is a prepaid computer-generated card that can be used to deposit money on a casino account. Prepaid cards can be purchased in different Mexican stores, but there is also the option to make the purchase online.
Prepaid cards can be purchased in different Mexican stores, but there is also the option to make the purchase online. Transferencia Bancaria, which is also operated by AstroPay, is occasionally available to Mexican players.
It enables the ease of moving funds directly from a Mexican bank account to an online casino.
OXXO is a safe and convenient payment method that widely accepts online casino payments. You can purchase special OXXO vouchers at most MXN locations.
To make a cash transfer, simply insert your OXXO voucher number on the casino's transaction page. Although this method is great for making withdrawals, there are some fees involved.
Just as is the case with online gaming, Mexico’s Draft Bill in place makes no provisions, and neither does it talk about land-based casinos.
However, this has not prevented hundreds of operators from setting shop in Mexico. Additionally, every kind of "draw" game should be exercised with authorisation from the country's Ministry of Interior (SEGOB).
However, SEGOB's scope remains wide at the moment, and regulation is neither clear nor strict. Locals are not prohibited from gambling in casinos or placing numerous bets on racetracks.
SEGOB gambling license holders attract a taxation limit of 30%. In some circumstances, players' winnings can also be taxed
Mexico is estimated to host over 300 casinos plus gambling shops. The majority of them are casino chains although other forms of gambling are present.
Certain establishments, such as the Winpot in Playa del Carmen, are essentially small shopping retail malls.
However, you will also find a lot of slot machines, sports betting shops, and even several bingo terminals inside, Certain smaller casinos employ human dealers instead of relying solely on electronic terminals. This gives them a more human touch.
Slot machines were legalised for the first time in 2013, once again. However, the law is still unclear on slot machines.
In some rare circumstances, certain licences are granted to slot machine operators. This is a common trend with casinos located in larger tourist destinations in Cancun. Here, gamers can enjoy games like poker, especially the popular Casino Hold'em.
The Dubai Palace Casino is licenced by the SEGOB and regularly hosts large-prize rewards as part of its offers.
Additionally, Mexico City plays host to some of the highly-rated casinos. PlayCity is home to several slot games in addition to an on-site sportsbook.
In this poorly controlled market, operators typically operate several establishments. PlayCity operates several casinos in Mexico that are spread from Acapulco to Puebla.
On the country's east coast is Playa del Carmen, a place that hosts three popular casinos (Grand Riviera, Bet and Win and Winpot).
However, travel advisories were constantly given to US tourists visiting the city. The US government has cautioned its citizens against ills like abduction, robberies, and even murders of seemingly rich tourists.
This could be one of the reasons why many have opted for Mexico online casinos a much safer and wiser option.
At Mexico's dog tracks and racetracks, pari-mutuel (pooled prize) wagering is permitted. The Hippodrome de l'Americas in Mexico City is one of the reknown. However, the Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana is the primary location for greyhounds.
In Mexico, there is no clear law regulating poker. However, PokerStars made its first significant stop there in 2011 with the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT).
Mexico was a popular destination for US expert professional poker gamers who were fleeing. With their livelihoods at stake, US online pros relocated to countries with more relaxed reception toward poker, and a more affordable way of life.
Although some approved online poker sites will not allow players from Mexico, many others do.
There are many lotteries operating in Mexico, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting charitable organisations. Players pick from a list of six numbers (1-56).
There is also an extra jackpot number, especially in the Melate lottery. A second Melate wheel (A-E) is available for more jackpots. The jackpots start at as much as 30 million pesos.
Gambling and games of chance have been a common thing in Mexico since the rebirth of the nation. Indeed, many of the country's archaic gambling laws date back to the 1880s, and current laws are over several decades old.
Betting has been a part of the culture in the country for decades. The French invented casino type of games in the nineteenth century, and wagering houses remained popular with locals well into the twentieth century.
The Mexican Revolution that took place in 1911, expelled many territories including the French colonist. What followed soon was the closure of all French-style gambling establishments.
The Catholic Church then lobbied for legislation to keep these prohibitions in place. Since 1947, when a new rule came into power, Mexico has seen an explosion in unlicensed sports betting shops and casinos.
The Federal Games and Lotteries Law (Gaming Law) was ambiguous in how it interpreted the regulations that were supposed to guide gambling. However, the statute omitted any legal concept of gambling.
Although games like dices, horse racing, draws, and dominoes, were generally prohibited, some dice games, dominoes, horse races, and draws were permitted.
In 2000, a new President Vicente Fox came into power, and among his interest was a proposal that Mexico could compete with Las Vegas as the region's main gambling centre.
His proposal for gigantic casino resorts attracted widespread condemnation from the Catholic Church, which maintains lots of interest in the country.
Gambling is now legally allowed in Mexico and is controlled and taxed by the federal government. It was not until 2004 that any serious effort was made to modernise the extremely antiquated rules.
That year, Gaming laws and regulations (Federal Games and Draws Law's) were put in place.
In effect, it empowered the Mexican government to amend the Gaming Law as it saw fit. In 2012 and 2013, the law was revised to include slot machines and electronic gaming terminals with some sort of ability.
Slot machines are allowed in Mexico, but operators must hold the proper sand relevant permits.
After the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI, or “Institutional Revolutionary Party”) regained control in 2012, a pledge was made to expand Mexico's gambling industry.
The government desired to improve the regulation of the country's approximately 400 casinos.
In 2014, those measures appeared to be bearing fruit, with officials stating that the new legislation would push the legal gambling age limit to 21.
It also proposed the elimination of small gambling dens that had proliferated across the country. Additionally, a new regulator was proposed, as well as a fresh licencing organisation where operators would renew their licenses every ten years.
However, due to delays in discussions and the slow pace in processing the draft and the proposed bill, the debate was eventually pushed to 2015.
The following year, proposed amendments to the bills were considered, and among the consideration were allowing casinos to be built in renowned resort cities that attract large numbers of visitors each year.
These attempts failed once again, despite officials' repeated assertions that the law was almost certain to pass at some stage during the year. So far, all these drafts are pending, and no bill has been passed.
Although the law regulating online gambling in Mexico is still messy, gamblers here can still enjoy some betting via offshore casinos.
Many reputable online casinos allow gamblers from Mexico, and with the above tips, players can find the most suitable and legitimate gaming sites.
While land-based and online gambling is widely available in Mexico, this industry's legality remains unclear, especially when compared to other developed countries.
Though new legalization is constantly monitored with the hope of making more amendments to gambling laws, most bodies mandated with this duty have not put in the effort.
Yes, you certainly can. If you pick a licensed and reliable online casino, you will be able to enjoy online gambling without being worried about your safety and that of your funds.
The majority of licenced casinos that have the necessary permits are absolutely legitimate, which means that they are also safe.
Mexico is home to more than 300 licenced casinos and gaming shops. Just like Las Vegas in the US, Mexico City, Puebla, Acapulco, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Acapulco and Grand Riviera, are quite popular with gamblers.
The legal age to engage in gambling activities is currently 18. Legislators, on the other hand, want to raise the age of gambling on both online and land-based casinos to 21.