Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has banned slot machines, but an election year in 2024 could bring hope to casino operators. [image: Shutterstock.com]
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador signed a decree containing a series of radical changes to the organization of the 2004 Games in his country.
The decree, which was published in the government’s Official Gazette on Thursday morning, bans some casino activities, including slot machines and table games. It specifically calls “betting games played with cards…dice, roulette wheels, or slot machines.” It also repeals several provisions of a 2004 regulation that permits “the drawing of numbers of symbols by machines.”
Not only that, but the decree also prohibits Mexican gaming companies from partnering with offshore companies. This will prevent Mexican licensees from collaborating with international online gambling brands to operate under their licenses – a currently common practice. The duration of a Mexican gaming license will also be reduced from 25 to 15 years under the new rules.
The changes will not take effect immediately
Although the decree was signed this week, the changes will not take effect immediately. The new permits will adhere to the prohibitions, while existing license holders can continue under current conditions until their permits expire or reach 15 years. This gives current license holders some time to appeal the new rules, and the 2024 election year may offer hope.
A new president is scheduled to take office in Mexico after general elections in June 2024. The ruling party has named former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as its presidential candidate, and Opinion polls indicate that her victory is easily guaranteed. Her views on gambling are unclear, but casinos can only hope she is not completely opposed to her predecessor.
Obrador’s crackdown on the gambling industry boiled down to his disapproval of former president Vincent Fox. After taking over from Fox in 2018, Obrador claimed that his predecessor allowed several casinos to obtain licenses through bribery and extortion.
