Mexico: judge rules slot machine ban unconstitutional

Garance Limouzy July 25, 2024

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Mexico: judge rules slot machine ban unconstitutional

A federal judge in Mexico ruled that the 2023 government decision to ban slot machines is unconstitutional. She also declared that roulette and dice games should be allowed.

Federal Judge María Isabel Bernal decided that the government’s ban on slot machines was unconstitutional and not in accordance with the Regulations of the Federal Law on Games and Sweepstakes (LFJS). In June of this year, another federal judge, Gabriel Regis, arrived at the same conclusion.

Judge Regis also declared that roulette and card games, which were never allowed in casinos even before the 2023 government decision, should be permitted.

2023: ban on slot machines

In 2023, the government, led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, decided to ban slot machines in all casinos and betting establishments. Casinos that held licenses to operate slots retained the right to use them until their concession expired, with a maximum of 15 years. After this period, no licensed casino would be able to request a renewal or extension.
The 2023 decree reads that lawful drawings permitted under Mexican law do not include “betting games played with cards or the equivalent in all its forms, dice, roulette wheels or slot machines”.

Twenty-six companies and casino operators challenged this decision in court, launching 60 lawsuits.

A 2016 supreme court ruling

Both judges based their decisions on a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed slot machines are permitted under the Federal Law on Games and Lotteries (LFJS), which has been in effect since 1947 and allows for draws. They also ruled that roulette, dice, and card games should be classified as draws, given that their outcomes are entirely random.

The government has challenged Judge Regis’s ruling. Mexico has one of the oldest regulatory frameworks for gambling operations in the region. Casinos, online gambling, bingo games, sports betting, and lottery games are all authorised.