Is online gambling legal in Mexico?

Legal overview

Gambling in Mexico rests on the Federal Law on Games and Draws, published on 31 December 1947 and never amended. The law starts from a general ban on games of chance and games with bets. It then lets the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB) regulate, authorise and supervise betting games and draws, apart from the National Lottery. No establishment may run games with bets or draws without a SEGOB permit. The 1947 law does not mention the internet. A 2004 regulation also does not mention digital platforms, so trade reports describe the legal framework for online gaming as unclear.

In practice, online gaming and betting are offered by companies that hold SEGOB permits, and SEGOB is the only authority that can grant them. According to the federal audit office, as reported by trade press, 36 permit holders held 51 permits covering 422 establishments at the end of 2023. No complete public register of authorised online platforms exists. In May 2026 a member of Congress asked SEGOB to publish one.

Organising unauthorised gambling is a crime under the 1947 law, with prison terms of three months to three years. Players and spectators at illegal gambling venues can also be penalised. Tax rules were tightened from 1 January 2026. A decree published on 7 November 2025 set the special tax on games with bets and draws at 50%. It expressly covers games offered over the internet by residents abroad, and digital services that do not comply can be temporarily blocked.