AIEJA identifies over 60% of digital betting as illegal
More than six out of ten digital bets placed in Mexico leave the country before reaching a platform. This estimate comes from the Association of Permitholders, Operators, and Providers of the Entertainment and Gambling Industry (AIEJA), led by Miguel Ángel Ochoa Sánchez, which, based on this figure, is calling for specific rules for the online channel. These rules aim to strengthen user protection, implement technological controls, and narrow the gap between authorized operations and those operating without local regulation.
The legal structure that accounts for the remaining 40 percent is well-sized. Gaming contributes close to 0.5 percent of Mexico's Gross Domestic Product and supports approximately 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, with 423 land-based casinos operating under 38 permitholding companies and around 80 licensed platforms for the online channel. The association argues that the expansion of the unregulated market obscures the performance of companies that do pay taxes and comply with the law.
The specific request is for technology to act as a barrier. For AIEJA, the current legislative framework provides a structural basis, but it is insufficient without specific rules for the digital environment. Among the measures it urges to standardize are advanced age verification supported by biometrics and identity authentication, algorithms that detect abnormal gaming patterns in real-time, and modules where users themselves can set limits on playing time, maximum spending, and decide to self-exclude.
The proposal extends beyond the platform. The association demands that the commitment be shared among the operator, the user, and the State, with the intention of positioning the activity as an entertainment alternative with clear limits. It also disseminates guidelines for financial education and gaming hygiene, such as setting a strict budget, not using money for basic needs, not betting with a loan or credit card, and not trying to recover losses with a new bet. Additionally, it emphasizes training company personnel to provide timely guidance and refer individuals to mental health specialists as soon as a sign of vulnerability appears.
For all of this to work, the entity requests that the effort not be left to just two actors. According to AIEJA, coordination is needed not only between regulatory authorities and operators but also with schools, civil organizations, and those working in healthcare.
The 60 percent figure is an estimate from the industry itself, and therein lies the fundamental problem, as there is no official public measurement against which to verify it. Segob does not publish data on the online market, so the only available figure on the size of the illegal offering is provided by the association representing the operators harmed by it. The timing of the claim is also not coincidental, as it comes four days after the reform of the Federal Law on Games and Lotteries completed the government's internal review and was one step away from Congress. Thus, AIEJA is asking for the digital chapter to be written into that bill before the text leaves the Executive. Finally, the 423 authorized casinos give scale to another figure from last week: the 13 establishments closed, as reported by the Ministry of Interior itself.
Tags: AIEJA, online gaming in Mexico, illegal gambling, Miguel Ángel Ochoa Sánchez