Efforts to update Mexico’s Ley Federal de Juegos y Sorteos (LFJS), in force since 1947, are moving on two separate tracks. Neither has reached the federal Congress yet. The Interior Ministry (Segob) has finished internal review of its draft new law, which now awaits sign-off from the federal security cabinet. Separately, Morena local deputy Alberto Martínez Urincho introduced a bill in August to tighten rules on problem gambling and online betting.

Segob’s draft

On 3 September, at the President’s morning press conference, Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the review across government departments was “almost finished”. She added that the draft would go to the security cabinet before being sent to Congress. The project had first been announced to deputies in September 2025.

The stated goals are legal certainty for compliant companies and action against money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. Rodríguez said the industry itself had asked for the update.

In October, internal review was reported as complete. Accounts differ on one detail: some say the draft has already gone to the security cabinet, others that it is awaiting the cabinet’s evaluation. All agree it had not reached Congress as of mid-October. The text is not public, so its online-betting provisions are unknown.

Segob also reports 13 casinos closed and around 20 venues with irregularities or under investigation. That work is being done with the Attorney General’s office (FGR) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF).

The Martínez Urincho bill

The bill adds an Article 1 Bis and amends Article 3 of the LFJS. It would recognise problem gambling as an addiction and a mental-health disorder. It proposes:

  • mandatory health and risk warnings from betting providers;
  • strict ID checks to keep minors out;
  • a ban on misleading advertising and on promotions aimed at vulnerable users;
  • an explicit ban on bets on elections or political events, wars, natural disasters and humanitarian crises, among others.

At least one press report says the bill would also limit influencers, celebrities and athletes in betting promotions. Other coverage does not mention that point.

The deputy cited official figures showing that 4% to 8% of Mexican adolescents have problematic or dependent gambling. He presented the bill around 5 August before the Comisión Permanente. Because the LFJS is federal law, the bill must first clear the Mexico City Congress’s Local Public Administration Committee and then its full chamber. Only then would it go to the federal Congress. It is at a very early stage.

Background

The LFJS was published in the Diario Oficial on 31 December 1947 and only gained regulations in 2004. It has no online provisions. Digital platforms operate as an extension of Segob permits tied to physical venues.

Other federal proposals exist. In October 2025, Ricardo Mejía Berdeja proposed replacing the law and creating a National Institute of Games and Draws under Segob. In December 2025, an initiative on gambling advertising and minors was filed in the Chamber of Deputies. Whether the 2027 midterm elections will affect the reform’s timing is unconfirmed.

What it means for operators and affiliates

For now, the legal framework is unchanged. Neither reform has been published in the Diario Oficial, and Segob’s text remains unknown.

Still, the proposals point towards tighter advertising rules: misleading messages, exposure to minors and possibly the use of public figures. Affiliates would do well to review creatives, targeting and age-gating now.

The proposed ban on bets on elections and political events would matter to anyone offering such markets, if it is adopted.

Some obligations already apply:

  • New rules under the anti-money-laundering law (LFPIORPI) require risk-based KYC, identification of ultimate beneficial owners and screening for politically exposed persons. The general deadline is 30 November 2026.
  • Segob’s gaming directorate suspended 10 online casino domains in July 2026.
  • The IEPS excise tax on gambling rose from 30% to 50%. Foreign platforms without a permanent establishment now owe it when the user is in Mexico.

The next things to watch are the security cabinet’s decision and publication of the draft text.

This article is based on public information available at the time of publication. We try to verify the facts, but figures and details may contain errors or change, and iGaming.mx accepts no responsibility for their accuracy. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted a mistake? Email us.