What Makes an Online Casino Illegal in Mexico
An online casino is illegal in Mexico when it has no SEGOB permit behind it, or when the domain you are using has no authorization of its own from the gaming regulator, the DGJS. That is the whole test. A well-known brand, a Spanish-language site or prices in pesos do not change the answer.
The 1947 gambling law bans games with bets except those SEGOB permits, and there is no separate license for the internet. The only legal route is a Mexican company with a permit that has also received a DGJS letter (an oficio) for each web address it uses. Anything outside that arrangement is operating without authorization, however long it has had Mexican customers.
Red Flags: How to Spot an Illegal Online Casino in Mexico
Any one of these signs is enough reason not to sign up:
- No Mexican permit number in the footer. Licensed sites print the permit number and the name of the Mexican permit holder, because advertising rules require the permit number.
- Only a foreign license. The site shows an overseas license, often from Curaçao or Malta, instead of a SEGOB permit.
- The address is not on the list. The exact domain does not appear in the DGJS list of authorized websites, or it appears with a status other than operating.
- Crypto deposits. Licensed operators work in pesos only and do not take cryptocurrency directly.
- Credit to play. Permit holders may not lend you money to bet.
- A .com copy of a .mx brand. The site looks like a licensed brand, but the address is its international version.
- Offers with no conditions. Licensed operators need DGJS approval for each promotion and must state its conditions and duration. A bonus with no terms attached is a warning sign.
The quickest check is the site check on our licensed casinos page. Type the address as it appears in your browser.
Offshore Casinos: Why a Curaçao or Malta License Does Not Count
Many sites that accept players in Mexico advertise a license from Curaçao, Malta or another country. The license may be genuine, but it only covers the jurisdiction that issued it. Mexico has no license for foreign companies at all. A foreign brand can operate legally only through a Mexican permit holder, with the foreign ownership approved by SEGOB, and on a domain the DGJS has authorized.
Some comparison sites that rank for Mexican searches list offshore brands next to licensed ones and say a Curaçao or Malta license is enough. It is not. A site with an overseas license and no Mexican permit is not authorized in Mexico, and this site does not list any.
Same brand, different domain
This is where many players get caught out. Several brands run a licensed .mx site and, separately, an international .com site. Only the domain named in the DGJS oficio is authorized. If you reach the .com version from Mexico, you are on a different site, with different rules and none of the protection the permit gives. Check the address bar before you log in, and bookmark the authorized domain once you have confirmed it.
Casino Sites Suspended in Mexico in 2026
A permit does not protect every domain a company runs. Between July 5 and 9, 2026, the DGJS listed 10 domains of permit holders as suspended:
- bet365.mx
- betano.mx
- 1xbet.mx
- luckia.mx
- netabet.com.mx
- netabet.mx
- casinomiravallepalace.com
- kingsbet.com.mx
- kasino.mx
- diamantecasino.com.mx
bet365.mx and betano.mx had already stopped taking bets in November 2025, after action by Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit. In December 2025 a court let them stay online for information only. Court cases are still running, so their status can change. While the DGJS lists them as suspended, they are not in our directory.
A suspended site can look exactly as it did before. The only way to know whether it can take bets is to confirm that its domain is still authorized.
Mexican Casino Domains Withdrawn From the DGJS List
Suspension is not the only way a domain loses its authorization. In its June 2026 list of authorized websites, the DGJS marks 27 domains of permit holders as temporarily withdrawn and 13 more as not operating. None of them can take bets while that status stands.
These domains were removed from our directory of licensed casinos after we checked that list:
- bigbola.mx: temporarily withdrawn over an administrative procedure, as is onlinebigbola.mx;
- mostbet.com.mx: not on the list.
A temporary withdrawal is not always a penalty. The list also records withdrawals for site maintenance. Even so, do not open an account or deposit at a domain the DGJS does not show as operating.
How Many Illegal Casinos Operate in Mexico?
There is no official figure. The government has published no estimate of the unlicensed market and no list of blocked domains. The numbers in circulation come from the licensed industry, which has a stake in the issue, so read them as industry figures:
- about 4,500 clandestine sites, according to industry data quoted by Forbes México in October 2025;
- around 60% of online gambling in Mexico taking place outside the law, according to the same report and to the industry association AIEJA in September 2026.
Since 2026 the special tax law (IEPS) allows the authorities to block foreign platforms that do not meet their tax obligations. As of September 2026 we found no block applied under that power.
What You Give Up at an Unlicensed Casino
The risk is not only legal. You lose the rules that protect your money at a licensed site:
- A regulator that takes your complaint. The DGJS handles complaints against permit holders and publishes the files. We found no DGJS action against unlicensed websites.
- Pesos and Mexican banks. Licensed sites must operate in national currency, and online bets settle through bank confirmation.
- A record of your bets. An authorized site stores every bet with your account, the date and the amount, and lets you view and print it.
- Checked promotions. Each promotion at a licensed site needs prior DGJS approval. At an unlicensed site, conditions can change without anyone reviewing them.
What to Do If You Already Have Money at an Unlicensed Casino
Once you know a site has no permit, stop depositing. Then keep a record of everything you can:
- screenshots of your balance and of each deposit and withdrawal request;
- your username and the exact web address you used;
- the card, bank account or payment method you paid with;
- any emails or chat messages with the site’s support.
That record matters if the site turns out to be linked to a Mexican permit holder. In that case you can file a complaint with the DGJS, whose form asks for exactly those details: the domain, your username and the registered bank account. The complaint route and contact details are on our page about the gambling license in Mexico.
If the site has no link to any permit holder, your options are very limited, and we will not promise a way out that our sources do not support. If you feel you need to keep playing to win back what you lost, that is the moment to stop and talk to someone.
If gambling stops being fun, call Línea de la Vida on 800 911 2000 (24 hours).
Deposit limits, self-exclusion and where to find a support group are covered on our responsible gambling page.
Questions About Unlicensed Casinos in Mexico
Is a casino with a Malta or Curaçao license legal in Mexico?
No, unless it operates through a Mexican permit holder on a domain the DGJS has authorized. An overseas license only covers play under that country’s rules.
If a site is in Spanish and shows prices in pesos, is it licensed?
Not necessarily. Language and currency say nothing about authorization; the permit number and the oficio for that exact domain do.
Does Mexico block unlicensed casino sites?
Not in practice so far. As of September 2026 we found no official list of blocked domains, and the known actions were against licensed companies, such as the July 2026 suspensions.