Strengthening Anti-Money Laundering Laws in Mexican Betting Industry

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Mexico’s Secretariat of the Interior (Segob) has a proposal ready to reform the legislation regulating casinos and betting centers, aiming to strengthen controls against money laundering in casinos and tax fraud. The initiative, promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum, will now be presented to the security cabinet.

A law in force for nearly 80 years

The Secretariat of the Interior (Segob) has finalized a proposal to reform the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law, in force since 1947, to adapt the regulatory framework of the casino and betting industry to current risks.

The Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, announced the initiative on September 3 during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.

As she explained, the project is the result of approximately two years of work between Segob and various federal agencies linked to the sector.

The proposal was drafted under direct instructions from Sheinbaum and has already completed its internal review. The next step will be its analysis by the security cabinet.

Warning to operators

Rodríguez also revealed that, at the beginning of the current administration, she summoned the permit holders of the sector's main industries—casinos and betting centers—to establish the terms of their relationship with the Government.

The official stated that she warned the operators about the consequences of attempting to bribe Segob officials.

“The first thing I want from you is that you please do not corrupt the staff of the Secretariat of the Interior, because I will shut down your businesses and I will put the colleagues who are receiving money from you in jail.”

Rodríguez added that the businessmen also do not have authorized representatives or intermediaries to manage affairs with the Secretariat.

“No brokers or intermediaries on behalf of the Secretariat for you. I have no representative; anything you want to discuss is directly with me.”

In return, Segob offered to address the situation of injunctions (amparos) and other pending procedures for the operators. The Secretary maintained that the agreement has been fulfilled and that the relationship with the industry has remained stable during her two years in office.

Around 20 casinos are under investigation

Rodríguez acknowledged that there are ongoing investigations related to establishments in the sector, although she clarified that those cases fall under the jurisdiction of other federal authorities.

“It has to do with what you know, which is public, about 13 casinos and others, there must be about 20 in total.”

The investigations involve the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), through the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF).

The cases are related to alleged money laundering operations and tax fraud.

According to previously reported information, in November 2025, the UIF detected operations considered high-risk in 13 casinos, including cash movements, international transfers, and the use of unsupervised digital platforms.

More than 202,000 reports to the UIF

The sector is also under increasing financial monitoring.

Between January and May 2026, gaming and betting companies submitted 202,045 activity reports to the UIF, corresponding to operations worth at least 15.287 billion Mexican pesos.

The figures reflect the magnitude of the operations currently subject to supervision by Mexican financial authorities.

Finance Secretariat reinforces anti-money laundering measures

Segob's initiative coincides with new measures adopted by the Finance Secretariat (Hacienda) to strengthen the money laundering prevention system.

On August 10, new General Rules linked to the Federal Law for the Prevention and Identification of Operations with Funds from Illicit Sources (LFPIORPI) were published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF).

Among the main changes is the incorporation of a Risk-Based Approach, through which operators of vulnerable activities must identify, evaluate, classify, and document the risks related to their clients, operations, and geographic areas.

The new provisions also reinforce controls on Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, the identification of the ultimate beneficial owner, and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).

Obligated entities will have until November 30, 2026, to update their internal procedures, according to the established implementation schedule.

Segob also targets online gaming

The regulatory offensive also reaches the online casino segment.

In July 2026, Segob's General Directorate of Games and Draws (DGJS) suspended 10 online casino domains operating under authorized permits in Mexico.

The measures took place within the framework of investigations into alleged irregularities, including possible money laundering and terrorism financing operations.

The reform still needs to advance in the legislative process

Although the proposal has already completed its review within Segob, it is not yet ready to become law.

Rodríguez explained that it must first be evaluated by the security cabinet.

“We will see if the law passes through the security cabinet; if they approve us, then we move forward.”

The Secretary also noted that the industry itself has requested an update to the legislation, because the current law dates back to 1947 and does not reflect the market's evolution or the new financial risks associated with betting.

As an additional measure to prevent acts of corruption during inspections, Rodríguez asked operators and inspectors to record the verification visits with their cell phones.

“That way there won't be any problem; both will have the evidence of any issue.”

The Mexican Government thus seeks to combine the update of the regulatory framework with greater financial controls and measures aimed at preventing corruption within the sector's supervision.