Mexican Court to Review Casino Slot and Table Game Rulings

Mexico’s Supreme Court to Review Casino Expansion Amid Legal Challenges

Mexico’s Interior Ministry (Segob) has escalated its battle against casino expansion by requesting the Supreme Court of Justice to review rulings that have allowed casinos to install new slot machines and expand into table games like cards, roulette, and dice.

According to Agencia Reforma, the Supreme Court’s Second Chamber has agreed to hear the government’s plea and will examine two injunctions previously granted, which declared the 2023 amendment to the Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes (LFJS) unconstitutional. This amendment was signed by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The injunctions were initially filed by Grupo Caliente and Sabia Corporation, a gaming machine supplier.

While the First Chamber rejected a similar request in March, the Second Chamber, in a private session on May 28, voted three to one to accept the request. Minister Yasmín Esquivel championed the cause, citing Segob’s lack of standing to raise the issue.

With the current Supreme Court nearing the end of its term, the Second Chamber has limited time, with only three sessions remaining. Consequently, the matter will be decided by the nine incoming ministers in September, who will operate as a full bench.

The administration of Claudia Sheinbaum, through Segob head Rosa Icela Rodríguez, has expressed interest in creating a new legal framework. However, progress has been slow, pushing the issue to the judicial branch.

Key Rulings Under Scrutiny

Two judges and a collegiate court determined that the 2023 regulatory reform violated the LFJG, which has remained unchanged since 1947. Several companies already possess final injunctions that cannot be overturned by future court decisions.

These companies include Atracciones y Emociones Vallarta (AEV), Espectáculos Deportivos de Occidente (EDOSA), and Eventos Festivos de México (EFM), which collectively operate approximately 50 casinos.

According to the injunction rulings, the Supreme Court has established since 2016 that “number sweepstakes machines,” referring to slot machines, are permitted under the LFJS.

Furthermore, López Obrador’s reform allowed operators to argue that card games, roulette, and dice are also authorized by law. Dice are explicitly permitted by the LFJS, while the other games are considered similar to sweepstakes because their outcomes depend on chance rather than skill.

Judges and magistrates have concurred that dice, cards, and roulette are legal, despite the Executive’s regulatory reform rejecting their classification as “sweepstakes.”