Mexico City lawmakers are considering changes to Mexico’s federal gambling framework that would increase protections for players and place additional obligations on operators and digital platforms.
Deputy Alberto Martínez Urincho, a member of the governing MORENA party, submitted the proposal to Congress with the stated aim of treating gambling-related harm as a public-health concern. The initiative would amend the Federal Games and Sweepstakes Law of 1947, which remains the central legislation governing games of chance and sweepstakes.
Because gambling regulation falls under federal law, the proposal must pass through the relevant legislative process before any measures can take effect. The initiative would amend Article 3 and add a new Article 1 Bis.
Stronger Controls For Gambling Operators
The proposed framework would require gambling companies authorised by SEGOB, Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior, to display public-health warnings online and at land-based gambling venues. Operators would also face stronger identity-verification requirements, while age controls would receive greater attention.
The proposal specifically addresses Mexico’s approximately 400 land-based gambling establishments, with expanded identification procedures intended to improve oversight of consumers and vulnerable players.
Advertising would also face tighter restrictions. The proposal targets promotional activity involving social media, influencers and digital advertising, with lawmakers seeking greater safeguards against campaigns that could appeal to minors or other vulnerable groups.
Martínez Urincho highlighted the growing reach of mobile devices as betting and gaming become available throughout the day. He said: “Advertising on social networks and streaming platforms sells the fantasy of easy money, trapping even those under 18 years of age in problematic dynamics.”
He also said: “We are witnessing an exponential growth of the game in Mexico. This is not a simple matter of leisure or entertainment. We are talking about a disorder that generates changes in the brain circuits, leading to compulsive behavior despite the serious physical, psychological and social consequences.”
Proposal Targets Prediction Markets And Gambling Harm
The draft would prohibit betting on political developments as well as markets involving global conflicts, humanitarian crises and natural disasters. It would also target markets described in the proposal as violating human dignity.
The measures come alongside concerns over gambling addiction among younger people. Estimates cited in the initiative suggest that 4% to 8% of Mexican adolescents could display problematic or dependent gambling behaviour. Separate estimates associated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico indicate that gambling disorder could affect as many as 3.9 million people, based on prevalence of 1% to 3%.
The proposal follows earlier calls for a broader overhaul of Mexico’s gambling legislation. Government officials discussed modernising the framework in 2025 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the 2026 Budget instead increased the IEPS gambling tax from 30% to 50%.
Operators criticised the higher tax burden and warned of possible effects on investment and the regulated market. The government has maintained a target of approximately MXN 41bn ($2.1bn) in gambling tax revenue.
The latest initiative therefore puts structural gambling reform back before Congress. Its provisions will require further legislative consideration before Mexico determines whether the proposed controls become part of federal law.
Source:
“Mexico exploring pathway to stricter gambling regulations”, sbcnews.co.uk, August 10, 2026
