How a Gambling License Works in Mexico
Mexico has no stand-alone online casino license. The Federal Law on Games and Draws (Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos) dates from 1947, has never been amended and does not mention the internet. What exists instead is a permit from the Interior Ministry (Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB) to run betting games at a physical establishment.
The 2004 Regulation (Reglamento) under that law created the permit types that matter online: remote betting centers, number-draw halls, racetracks and frontón courts (Article 20-I). Article 85 then lets a permitted establishment take bets “via the internet, by telephone or electronically”. So every legal online casino in Mexico sits on top of a land-based permit.
In practice, when people search for a Mexican gambling license, they mean three documents together:
- a SEGOB permit held by a Mexican company;
- SEGOB approval of how that company takes bets remotely;
- a DGJS authorization, called an oficio, for each website that takes bets.
Who Can Hold a SEGOB Gambling Permit
Permits go only to companies incorporated under Mexican law. A foreign group cannot hold one in its own name.
International brands enter the market through a Mexican permit holder (permisionaria). The permit holder works “en unión de”, in partnership with, an operating company, and SEGOB approves any foreign ownership. The betway.mx footer is a typical example: the site is run in Mexico by the permit holder Espectáculos Deportivos Frontón México together with its operator, while the brand itself is managed by a company in Malta.
One permit holder can carry many brands. Producciones Móviles, S.A. de C.V., for example, backs PlayUZU, Mexplay, CampoBet, JugaBet, Betcris and several more. For anyone assessing an operator, the permit holder named in the footer is the company that answers to the regulator.
The Per-Domain Oficio and the DGJS List of Authorized Websites
A permit alone does not authorize any website. Under the DGJS Guidelines (Lineamientos) of 2021, each domain needs its own authorization, issued as an oficio. A published example: oficio DGJS/234/2019 authorized a permit holder to take bets through the domain codere.mx.
The DGJS publishes a list of authorized websites that gives each domain, its permit holder and its status: operating, suspended, deregistered or not operating. The June 2026 version lists 136 domains. Its page only opens from a connection inside Mexico, and the operating domains are reproduced on our list of licensed casino sites.
In July 2026 the DGJS suspended 10 domains belonging to companies that still held permits. The permits stayed in force, but those sites could no longer take bets. What happened, and how to spot a site in that position, is on the page about suspended and unlicensed casinos.
What a Mexican Gambling License Means for Players
A licensed site is run by an identified Mexican company that answers to an authority. That doesn’t make every licensed casino a good one, but it gives you things an unlicensed site can’t:
- A named company. The permit holder appears in the footer and in SEGOB’s records, so you know who is responsible.
- Somewhere to complain. The DGJS handles complaints against permit holders (see below).
- Pesos and Mexican banks. All betting is in Mexican pesos, and an online bet counts as paid once the bank confirms it (Article 86).
- A record of every bet. You must be able to look up and print your betting history (Article 87).
What a license does not guarantee: fast withdrawals (no law sets a deadline), deposit limits or other protection tools (none are mandatory), or that a bonus is worth taking. Setting your own limits matters for that reason, and the responsible gambling guide explains the tools licensed sites offer.
How to Check a Gambling License in Mexico
Article 9 of the Regulation requires gambling advertising to show the permit number, so an authorized site keeps it in view. Checking takes a couple of minutes:
- Scroll to the footer of the casino site and find the legal text, usually in small print.
- Note the permit holder, the Mexican company named as permisionaria.
- Note the permit number. It usually starts with letters such as DGJS, DGAJS or DGG.
- Find the oficio for the domain and check that it names the same address as your browser.
- Look the domain up in the directory of DGJS-authorized sites. If it isn’t there, or the footer shows no permit, treat the site as unauthorized.
Check the full domain, not just the brand. Some brands run a licensed .mx site and a separate .com site for other countries, and only the address named in the oficio is authorized.
What Mexico’s Gambling Law Requires of Permit Holders
Operators with a SEGOB permit take on duties that players and industry partners can check:
- National currency. Every betting transaction is in Mexican pesos (Article 10). Licensed sites don’t take crypto directly.
- No credit. A permit holder may not lend money to bettors (Article 11).
- Bet records. Each bet is logged with the account, the bettor’s identity, date, time, amount and selection (Article 85).
- Advertising lines. Ads must carry the permit number, state that betting is prohibited for minors and invite responsible play mainly for entertainment (Article 9).
- Promotions approved in advance. The Guidelines require written DGJS approval for each promotion, requested 15 working days ahead, and loyalty programs must be notified. Some operators print the approval number next to the offer.
Gambling Taxes for Licensed Operators in Mexico
The special tax on production and services (IEPS) on betting games and draws rose to 50% from January 1, 2026, up from 30%. Many sources still quote the old 30% rate. The details, from the Ley del IEPS as reformed in November 2025:
- One rate applies to land-based and online gambling.
- The base is total bets less prizes paid.
- Foreign online operators without a Mexican establishment are now in scope. They must register, and non-compliance can lead to access to the service being blocked for a time.
Each permit also sets a share of proceeds payable to the federal government, and states can add their own levies; Mexico City, for example, charges 13% on organizers, though whether states apply such levies to online play is not clear from published sources. The SHCP reported IEPS gambling revenue of MX$2,025 million in the first half of 2026, against a target of MX$2,513 million. Tax withheld from players’ winnings is a separate matter, covered in the guide to gambling law, age and tax in Mexico.
How to File a Complaint With the DGJS
If you have a problem with a licensed casino, the DGJS takes complaints through its complaints service. The 2026 complaint form asks for three things, so have them ready:
- the domain of the site where you played;
- your username on that site;
- the bank account you registered.
Contact details: email [email protected], phone 55 5209 8800 (option 5), or in person at Versalles 49, 2nd floor, Colonia Juárez, Mexico City, 06600. The official site is juegosysorteos.gob.mx, and the DGJS publishes complaint files by permit holder each year.
This route works against companies with a permit. No DGJS action against unlicensed websites was found, which is one more reason to stay on authorized sites.
Changes to Mexico’s Gambling License Rules in 2026
The reform of the Regulation published on November 16, 2023 banned slot machines in new permits, capped permit terms at 15 years (older permits end by November 2038 at the latest), removed the separate “operator” role and required one establishment per permit with shareholder disclosure. It did not change Article 85 or mention online gaming.
From July 9, 2024, federal judges granted many amparos (constitutional injunctions) against the reform, so it does not apply to the companies that won them. The Supreme Court never ruled: it pulled the case from its agenda on July 14, 2026, and the plaintiff withdrew on August 27, 2026.
On September 3, 2026, SEGOB announced a reform of the 1947 law aimed at money laundering and tax fraud. No text had been published by late September 2026, and it still has to go through the Security Cabinet and Congress. The base texts are the Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos and its Reglamento, last reformed on November 16, 2023. This page will be updated when the bill reaches Congress.
Questions About the Gambling License in Mexico
Is there an online gambling license in Mexico?
No. Online casino play is legal only as an extension of a land-based SEGOB permit, plus a DGJS oficio for each website.
Can a foreign company get a Mexican gambling license?
Not directly. Permits go only to Mexican companies, and foreign brands operate through a Mexican permit holder, with SEGOB approving the foreign ownership.
Does a Curaçao or Malta license allow a casino to operate in Mexico?
No. Only a SEGOB permit with a DGJS oficio for the domain authorizes a site to take bets from players in Mexico.
How long does a SEGOB permit last?
New permits last up to 15 years since the 2023 reform. Older permits end by November 2038 at the latest.
What is the gambling tax rate for operators in Mexico?
The IEPS on betting games and draws is 50% from January 1, 2026, on bets less prizes paid. It was 30% before.