Mexican government seeks to implement huge tax hike on online gambling
Mexico’s Ministry of Finance has included a series of non-fiscal tax measures in the 2026 Economic Package aimed at discouraging the consumption of products deemed harmful to the population’s physical and mental health. These measures propose new taxes on violent video games and online gambling sites, as well as an increase in taxes on flavoured beverages and tobacco.
According to the document submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday night (8 September), the government is proposing to implement an 8% special tax on digital services for violent video games and to raise the tax on online gambling from 30% to 50%. The tax on online gambling will be based on either the total amount of bets placed by players or the total revenue received by the gambling operators, although it has yet to be clarified which basis will ultimately be used.
Additionally, the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) on soft drinks will increase. The proposals are part of the “healthy taxes” chapter of the 2026 General Economic Policy Criteria and, if approved by Congress, would begin to be implemented next year.
The administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum argues that consumption from these industries incurs significant social and economic costs, ranging from obesity and diabetes related to sugary drinks to isolation and anxiety associated with intensive video game use, along with family financial losses resulting from the rise of online gambling.
“Recent studies have found a link between violent video game use and increased levels of aggression among adolescents, as well as negative social and psychological effects such as isolation and anxiety,” states the General Economic Policy Criteria of the package.
With a delay of more than four hours compared to the original schedule and only 90 minutes before the constitutional deadline, the Secretary of Finance, Edgar Amador, delivered the 2026 Economic Package to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday night , projecting total revenues of 8.7 trillion pesos. The proposal includes, among other aspects, a growth range of 1.8% to 2.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
