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Mexico – Mexican tourist council opposes casinos in tourist hotspots
By Phil - 9 November 2015
The Vice President of the National Tourist Business Council of Mexico (CNET), Cristina Alcayaga, has said that there is no need for already established tourist resorts located on the Riviera Maya or in Puerto Vallarta to house casinos.
As a result the body will request changes in the amendment to the Mexico’s new gaming law, which is currently stalled in the Senate, and request that casinos are installed only in tourist areas which require additional tourist development.
“We do not believe that casinos are a cure all,” Mrs. Alcayaga said. “There are already more than 100 casinos operating in the country. What we are asking for is participation in the debate regarding the law before it is approved, we do not want it approved without us having had our say,” she said.
In February Mexico’s gaming regulatory body in SEGOB (The Interior Ministry) confirmed that there was a project underway which would see Las Vegas style casino complexes being built in three zones: the Riviera Maya, Acapulco and Baja California. The Ministry of Tourism, the Executive Office of the Presidency and the Ministry of Economy are already, it is believed, looking to create large scale gaming zones in order to attract foreign investment into Mexico. According to reports in local press there is rising interest within the government in having two “major centres” in the next three years with a number of Chinese and American businesses showing a keen interest in becoming involved.
Alcayaga went onto say that CNET is asking the Senate to know the whereabouts of the specially designated zones which could be earmarked for large scale resort casinos as well how casinos will organised in the future. She also insisted that CNET be consulted before any new law is approved.
She added that CNET had never agreed with casinos in tourist hotspots and had been opposed to them from the beginning.
“We were concerned about the cases that everyone knows about,” she said referring to the Casino Royale tragedy in Monterrey where a group of armed men attacked, and then set fire to, the Casino Royale and left 52 people dead, “because casinos bring drug trafficking related offenses.”
Her calls echo that of Chairman of the National Tourist Business Council (CNET), Pablo Azcarraga who requested that the newly appointed Secretary of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero define the issue of new casinos in the country as soon as possible. In September Azcarraga put forward his concerns that the government could implement regulation which has not been adequately studied and where successes in other markets had not been taken into account.
