The casino industry proposed to Rosa Icela Rodríguez, Secretary of the Interior (Segob), that the new Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes contemplate permits for the installation of betting spaces in hotels in tourist destinations such as Cancún, Los Cabos and Acapulco.
“The opportunities that a comprehensive reform could offer were addressed (with the Secretary of the Interior), such as the creation of tourism projects that combine hotels and casinos in destinations such as Cancún, Los Cabos and Acapulco,” reported the Entertainment Industry Association and Gambling Game (AIEJA) and the Association of Permit Holders and Suppliers of Games and Sweepstakes.
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Business organizations stated that the authorization of casinos in hotels in Cancun, Los Cabos and Acapulco will allow Mexico to compete with international locations such as Las Vegas.
Miguel Ángel Ochoa, president of the first association, and Alfonso Pérez Lizaur, leader of the second, as well as other businessmen, spoke with Rosa Icela Rodríguez to evaluate the current regulation and the challenges facing the industry, especially unfair competition from informal operators. and new businesses, according to information from the organizations.
During the meeting, the associations agreed that the Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes, in force since 1946, has become obsolete in the face of technological advances and the growth of the digital betting market.
As of the second quarter of 2024, the gaming and sweepstakes sector contributed 164 billion pesos to the GDP, an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous quarter, said Miguel Ángel Ochoa.
The businessman pointed out that the industry generates more than 20 thousand direct jobs and 180 thousand indirect jobs, which positions it as a relevant sector for the Mexican economy.
The industry said that informality affects public finances and the formal market.
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According to figures shared during the meeting, at least 60 percent of online betting is carried out outside the legal framework, generating significant tax losses and currently, only 81 operators have official permits.
Sector leaders insisted on the need to have an updated regulatory framework that provides legal certainty and promotes the economic development of the industry.
The Government reiterated its willingness to collaborate with the sector and move towards a joint solution.
