Mexico: SEGOB announces casino projects in Acapulco, Riviera Maya or Baja California

In a joint press conference, they stressed that this project aims to keep casinos from operating in urban areas, where there are currently 297 gambling venues. Once permits from local and federal officials have been obtained, an estimated 775 casinos could be built in these resort areas. The numbers are based on the amount of permits that have been issued in past administrations.

Last week, hotel chains such as Hard Rock Riviera Maya or Resort Mundo Imperial Acapulco, said they plan to open casinos, and are awaiting the authorizations or approval of the new games of chance law.

International interest
Meanwhile, the Leader of the The Mexican Association of Professional Real Estate Agents in Cancun, Miguel Ángel Lemus Mateos, assured that several US betting centers are interested in installing casinos in hotels in Cancun and Riviera Maya, besides, international hotel chain Hard Rock announced that its new 1,800 room hotel in the Mexican Caribbean will have live gaming areas.
He said that it is an added value to the offer of Mexican tourist destinations; the arrival of casinos is beneficial if they are installed in areas with high capital gain, because it boosts attraction with purposes of recreation for wealthy people.
“Cancún and Riviera Maya are already in international competitio with destinations that already have such offers; the possibility of installing such infrastructure at the hotel zone and the Tourism corridor Cancun-Riviera Maya will stranghten the competitiveness of the area,” he added.

Lemus Mateos assured that Casino Playboy will not return to Cancun, because even the land it occupied has already been commercialized for other purposes, “are Las Vegas-based firms interested in opening small gambling centers at the top hotels in Cancun, however, I am not authorized to reveal the brand names.”

15 days ago, during the foundation stone laying of Hard Rock Riviera-Cancún at the third section of the hotel zone of this city, Roberto Chapur Zahoul, RCD Resorts Director, owner of the property, anticipated that, in case the new games of chance law ensures legal certainty to operate casinos in Mexico, this would be the first Hard Rock hotel in Mexico in operating a casino.
So far, the brand had not studied the possibility because “the law was not clear and was not transparent,” he said to El Economista, but, with the new regulation approved in committees last  year, “the hotel will have space to open casinos as soon as the law is totally transparent.”

Mayor of Cancún, Paul Carrillo de Cáceres, said the installation of casinos in Cancun tourist zone would be positive, although in that case the state will have to assume the leading role on the matter and exercise the powers of regulation, control, surveillance and sanction, to avoid the risks derived from this activity.