Assistance to Mexican casinos increased a 50%

From January to April this year, around 600,000 people assisted to the 360 gambling venues legally operating in Mexico, so the industry plans to conclude 2012 with more than 2 million people, a number that would show the recovery of the sector, which closed last year with just 1.2 million visits,” commented Miguel Ángel Ochoa, President of AIEJA.

Within ELA inauguration, Ochoa affirmed that the sector joined efforts due to Monterrey tragedy: “No doubt the growth reached has been achieved thanks to the support and participation of the sector legally formed, which, due to the tragedy of Casino Royale in Monterrey, has insisted in the urgent need to strenghten and modernize the current legal frame on the matter, which dates back to 1947, in order to assure the control, the adequate supervision and good performance of the gambling and betting centers in the country”.

The representative reminded the alliance that the sector maintains with certificate entity NYCE; which works with operators and licensees to apply the 13 Mexican Norms NMX-NYCE of voluntary compliance, focused in covering technical specifications of the gaming machines.

Ochoa remarked that the sector has a proposal of modifications to the Law of Games and Draws, which will be presented before the new legislature of the Union Congress, and among them, it highlights the creation of a Federal Gaming Commission with Bets and Draws decentralized from the Government, which will be comprised by the own SEGOB, the Secretary of Economy, the Secretary of Tourism and the PGR.

He reminded that the games of chance industry represents more than us$ 101 million, considering taxes and services, as well as 40,000 direct employments.