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Mexico – Mexican law could be passed before the end of 2015

By - 11 August 2015

The President of the Mexican Gaming Association (AIEJA) Miguel Angel Ochoa Sanchez, said that he expects that Mexico’s new law could be approved during the second regular legislative session of the Senate.

Lasting from September to December he said that it was urgent that lawmakers adopt new measures quickly during this final session in order to create a clearer legislative framework for both operators and customers alike.

“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.”

In a local radio interview he went onto say that a number of local and foreign investors were already poised ready to become involved in the Mexican gaming market once new laws are passed.

“We want the legal framework to have legal certainty for investment, to come clearly with what games you can play and not.” He also said that it was essential that the new law regulated online gambling online, “as 95 per cent of online gaming is not regulated by the Mexican government, and that live play must be regulated.” He also said that the new law must cover the regulation of all gaming machines, the certification of workers and come with a number of player protection measures.

According to Mr. Sanchez there are currently 312 gaming centers now operating in Mexico which employ 40,000 people directly and provide 130,000 indirect jobs. The new law could see an opening of 50, 60 rooms per year in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The total number of gaming centres could reach 500 by the end of the end of the current Presidential term he said.

The House of Representatives finally approved the new Federal Betting and Raffles Law in December last year. The new law aims to regulate the gaming industry more efficiently, safeguard the rights of players and make the licensing process more transparent. The new law had been the result of many months of work by the special committee first convened to look into the issue back in April 2013. The committee made up of 11 deputies was charged with looking into how licenses had been granted by the Interior Ministry (SEGOB) after growing reports of corruption and allegations that former members of SEGOB had trafficked licenses.

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