Mexico’s President reiterates anti-gambling stance as controversy over large scale casino mounts
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized that the policy prohibiting the granting of new permits or the opening of casinos remains unchanged. In a press conference, she stated that she would instruct Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez to investigate the situation further after she was asked about the opening of a major new casino located in Naucalpan in the state of Mexico.
“No, it hasn’t changed. No. We need to ask Rosa Icela to review this case because it hasn’t changed; there are no more permits or licenses. In fact, more surveillance and controls are being implemented. So, we will look into this case because it shouldn’t be the case.”
The company operating the Jubilee Casino obtained the permit in 2022 during the previous municipal administration of Naucalpan, led by Angélica Moya Marín. However, the current municipal government has filed a criminal complaint against the former mayor for the crime of abuse of authority, as she allegedly lacked the legal authority to issue this license.
Nevertheless, according to local media reports, the permit granted by Moya Marín was apparently ratified by the Ministry of the Interior during the tenure of the current senator, Adán Augusto López. In fact, the legal representatives of the project have reiterated that the permit was not issued during the current federal administration; rather, the previously granted authorization remains in effect.
The Jubilee Casino aims to boost local economic growth by creating approximately 600 direct jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs.
Since 2022, the Union of Neighbours from the Santa Cruz Acatlán neighbourhood in Naucalpan, has raised concerns about the establishment of the casino on the site of the former Casino Kash. According to local press reports the site has a controversial history, including a 2014 closure for illegal gambling operations, a 2015 lawsuit by the Kash Group against the Mexican state under The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and a 2017 arson incident.
Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, the presidential candidate for the country’s ruling leftist party and a close ally of the former president won the election in June 2024. In December 2024 Sheinbaum clarified that she has no plans to update Mexico’s gaming laws or modify it. Instead, she said that her administration, intended only to engage in dialogue with the owners of gaming establishments.
