AIEJA describes Mexico's potential Federal Gaming and Raffles Law as a "very important" step forward

At GAT Expo CDMX, Miguel Ángel Ochoa, President of the Association of Licensees, Operators, and Suppliers of the Entertainment and Gaming Industry in Mexico  (AIEJA), referred to the possibility of a new Federal Gaming and Raffles Law and assured that this would be a "very important" step forward in regulating the market.

The comment was made at one of the GAT Expo conferences on August 27, an event attended by over 300 participants from 40 countries, including authorities, lawyers, businesspeople, and union leaders.

"We believe that for the first time, we may have a new law. The issue is being led by the Ministry of the Interior. The forums to which we were invited have been completed, and we understand that they are in the final stages of drafting the bill. It would be a very important step toward regulating a market that is currently governed by an obsolete 77-year-old law," stated Ochoa.

During the forum, topics relevant to the gaming industry in Mexico were addressed, such as the current situation of the Mexican market, the rapid growth of online gaming, and the need to build regional consensus.

Ochoa alongside José Aníbal Aguirre (GAT), Felipe Vallejo (Fintech México), 
Marco Emilio Hincapié (Coljuegos), and Óscar Paredes Arroyo (AIEJA)

The spread of illegal gambling was also discussed, with examples of countries that have managed to reduce its incidence through regulatory reforms. "Some countries have been successful not by eliminating illegal gambling but by modifying legal gambling, while others, by controlling advertising or taxes, have driven legal gambling into illegality. It's a sensitive issue,” the head of AIEJA said.

Another relevant point was access to secure payment methods, especially in online gambling, which is considered risky in terms of money laundering prevention. "Today, in the face of an activity considered risky, we are looking at how to access payment methods for online gambling transactions," he explained.

The executive also referred to the current profile of players and emphasized that online gaming will surpass physical gaming, as it is better suited to young people between the ages of 18 and 30. "The growth of online gaming will surpass physical gaming, although the two complement each other: land-based casinos allow you to live the experience, while online gaming is more suited to young people between the ages of 18 and 30,” he said.

Among those attending the forum were Óscar Paredes Arroyo, president of the AIEJA Board of Directors; Felipe Vallejo, from the Fintech Mexico Association and CEO of Bitso Mexico; as well as José Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT Expo, and Marco Emilio Hincapié, President of Coljuegos (Colombia).