There's a New Sheriff in Town

8 years ago
Poker Regulations May Be Changing in Mexico
03:48
30 Oct

A new set of gaming laws and regulations has made its way into the Mexican senate this session and progress is going smoothly, albeit at the slow ponderous pace of federal government. While gaming in Mexico has maintained its popularity up to the present day, the nation’s last set of gaming laws was codified back in 1947. Since then, the there has only been one minor change made to the law in 2004. Because of this, the current laws are outdated, full of holes, and make no mention of modern advancements like online gaming. Hence, players and proprietors alike are excited at the prospect of the long awaited and much necessary overhaul.

Miguel Angel Ochoa Sanchez, the president of the Association of Licensees, Operators and Suppliers of Gaming and Entertainment in Mexico (AIEJA), said in a recent radio interview that he believed the new bill could pass in the senate session that will end this December. He went further into detail in the interview as he stressed both the immediate need for the bill and the bill’s intentions foremost as a protection for the player. To quote:

It is very important to us that the law can be approved in order to avoid illegality, corruption and above all, to ensure the safety of the player first, secondly of workers, and third of investors in order to create jobs, generate investment and generate taxes for the national economy.”


To accomplish these promises, the bill will create a new regulatory group for the nation’s gaming industry, the National Institute of Gaming and Lotteries. While some specifics like tax rates and regulatory powers are still in contention, politicians across party lines agree that the new regulatory body’s primary purpose is to tighten the boundaries of who can receive a gaming license and to watch those who receive them more closely than the Mexican Gaming Commission has previously.

While the intentions of the bill and its protection for Mexican players seem quite sound, some people expect negative fallout for the Mexican Gaming Market because of the bill’s focus on keeping Mexican gaming within the bounds of Mexico. For example, the bill currently stipulates that online gaming networks intended for Mexican players must have servers in Mexico. It has been surmised from this that the Mexican online gaming market will have a segregated player pool and that Mexican players would not be competing with players from other countries. This would lead to a significant loss in liquidity for Mexican networks as well as a reduction for international sites previously frequented by Mexican players. Furthermore, many players within Mexico could find that their favorite international sites are no longer accessible and be forced to find new venues to play.


Regardless of some sticking points, it seems that the proposed bill has a lot of forward momentum and, if not passed this session, will likely be passed next year. Lets hope for the best.


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Paul Nirenberg is a burgeoning author and long time fan of games of skill and chance. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he has been an avid poker player since he was given The Little Black Book of Poker at age 13. He now spends his time writing freelance while accruing short stories for a science ...Read more

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