Mexican government confirms that no new permits for casinos were issued

During one of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s regular morning conferences, details regarding the installation of new casinos were disclosed, providing an opportunity for the government to address the current situation and provide clarification.

With an eye toward the upcoming 2024 presidential elections, the government openly highlighted the shortcomings in the management of gambling hall licenses during previous administrations. Adán López Hernández, the Secretary of the Interior, led the presentation on this matter.

The official reiterated that the current administration has not granted any permits for casino operations. Furthermore, they specified that between the administrations of President Luis Echeverría and Ernesto Zedillo, a total of 229 permits were issued for casinos, game rooms, and raffles. The official raised concerns about the significant increase in casinos during President Vicente Fox’s administration, which witnessed the granting of 340 licenses. This represents the highest number of casinos granted in the history of the country and even surpasses the numbers of previous administrations. Notably, out of the 340 licenses, 153 were granted during the tenure of Secretary of the Interior Santiago Creel.

Moreover, the official clarified that during President Felipe Calderón’s government, 154 authorizations for casinos were granted, while during President Enrique Peña’s administration, 123 licenses were issued.

“During the early stages of our administration, three permits were granted as a result of a judicial order, and currently, there is an ongoing legal process to validate a permit that was issued during the Felipe Calderón administration. This implies a total of 86 authorizations for operating 86 casinos.”

The Secretary of the Interior emphasized that in addition to those cases, there are five lawsuits challenging the validity of permits granted during Felipe Calderón’s tenure.

“Furthermore, we have a tax dispute that, based on our request, will lead to the revocation of a permit for Juegos del Bajío. This permit was also granted during the Vicente Fox administration, under the Secretaryship of Santiago Creel. Several operational irregularities related to tax evasion have been identified, and they are currently under investigation by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.”

On another note, the official highlighted that an average of 15 to 20 inspections are conducted on casinos each month, resulting in approximately 250 inspections throughout the year. Additionally, during this administration, 47 illicit casinos have been shut down due to irregularities.