“We have no interests in casinos whatsoever,” says head of Mexico’s Interior Ministry
The Secretariat of the Interior of Mexico (Segob) confirmed that the current administration has not granted new permits to operate casinos. The head of the agency, Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, explained in a press conference that, unlike the previous government—where some permits were granted by court orders—in the current mandate of President Claudia Sheinbaum no new authorizations for casinos have been issued.
During a press conference, she detailed that she had met with casino operators and permit holders, emphasizing that acts of corruption will not be tolerated and they must fulfil their tax obligations.
“First, I want to say that in this administration no new permits have been granted at all. In the previous administration, yes, there were some, but they weren’t because the secretaries or those in charge wanted to issue these permits; they were court orders. However, it is under investigation how they were granted and what actions were taken. It is not a clear issue because no new permits have been opened; many times, they request them and they are left there for speculation,” she pointed out.
The Secretary of the Interior explained that there is an investigation into the permits for casinos that were granted by a court order. She noted that she had held a meeting with casino operators and permit holders to emphasize that acts of corruption will not be tolerated within the agency.
“I told them upfront that I would not allow any acts of corruption involving my staff, directly, and that any casino operators who engaged in corrupt acts with personnel would have their casinos closed, and that we would act accordingly with public servants. Corruption is over; we have no interests in casinos whatsoever, and no new permits will be granted,” she stated.
Despite this she said that the ministry was committed to reviewing gambling legislation as it dates back to 1947.
Earlier this month President Claudia Sheinbaum 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 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.
