Mexico to toughen criminal penalties for match-fixing and betting
The Mexican Chamber of Deputies has initiated the legislative process for a reform aimed at safeguarding the integrity of professional sports. The bill proposes penalties of up to ten years in prison for those who participate in match-fixing or develop fraud schemes linked to sports betting. This initiative, which is already under analysis by the Justice Commission, seeks to update the federal legal framework to respond to the growing threats facing the sports entertainment industry and the betting ecosystem.
A new chapter in the Federal Penal Code to protect fair play
The proposal, originally promoted in February 2026 by federal deputy Marcelo Torres Cofiño, seeks to introduce structural changes in the country's penal regulations. The core of the reform lies in the creation of a specific section within the Federal Penal Code dedicated exclusively to the protection of professional sports. Sanctions not only include imprisonment of between four and ten years for those who manipulate events, but also severe economic fines and permanent disqualification for those involved from holding positions in sports institutions.
Combating the use of insider information and money laundering
The legislative text expands the scope of justice to behaviors that often fall into gray areas. It criminalizes the use of confidential information to gain advantages in betting, bribery of players, referees or executives, and the use of sports clubs as fronts for money laundering from illegal gambling networks. In addition, the bill establishes considerable aggravating circumstances when those responsible for the fraud are team owners or senior executives, or when the events occur in tournaments of great national relevance or through duly registered sportsbooks.
Fan trust as the cornerstone of the reform
For the promoters of the law, football and other mass disciplines cannot operate under opaque financial interests. Deputy Torres Cofiño has been emphatic that the infiltration of capital without clear rules jeopardizes the ethical value of competition and the transparency that legal operators demand for a healthy market. The objective is to avoid conflicts of interest where those who manage sports infrastructure also have direct interests in the performance of betting markets. With this measure, Mexico seeks to anticipate possible integrity crises and ensure that the industry remains a reliable environment for sponsors, operators, and the general public.
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