The Association of Permit Holders, Operators and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry (AIEJA) disagrees with the increase in taxes on games and raffles, since it will encourage illegality and make operations in Mexico more expensive.
“The increase in the IEPS could encourage bettors to migrate to illegal gaming platforms, which operate without supervision of the Ministry of the Interior or fiscal control, which constitutes unfair competition for authorized operators,” warned the organization chaired by Miguel Ángel Ochoa.
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“It seems to be, on the contrary, an incentive for bettors and players who today use platforms authorized and supervised by the Ministry of the Interior, to flee towards the illegal gambling market,” declared the business entity.
On October 29, the Senate approved the reform to the Special Tax Law on Production and Services (IEPS), which increases the tax applicable to the entertainment and gambling industry from 30 to 50%. The decision is part of the 2026 Economic Package.
The organization recalled that for more than a decade they have requested the update of the 1947 law that regulates the sector, and a tax reform that takes into account the needs of the legal betting market, which currently generates direct and indirect jobs for more than 200 thousand families in 30 entities.
He added that the tax increase could affect the viability of smaller companies, as well as discourage new investments in a sector that seeks to modernize its legal framework.
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The organization asked the authorities and legislators to approach the sector to understand its functioning and enrich the analysis, before implementing changes that could be counterproductive and harmful to the industry and the country’s economy.
