Mexico's Federal Gaming and Lottery Act of 1947 does not allow casino or slots gambling in the country. Although it is an outdated piece of legislation, ex Minister of State Santiago Creel and ex President Fox approved Regulations to the law in 2005, placing the industry in Mexico in utter chaos as Creel also approved off track and remote gaming licenses to a few companies, including the mighty Latin American giant Televisa that funds politcal campaigns.

As head of the State Department (Secretaria de Gobernacion, locally known as Segob) the Secretary is in charge of the Gaming Commission, which has been granting licenses left right and centre to businesses operating slot machine gambling. Earlier in the year, the auditing commission in Mexico's House of Representatives asked the Segob for a full account of all the gaming licenses issued and the procedures used in the process.

Having refused to help with the Congress investigation, Segob went further and sought an injunction from the Supreme Court to thwart the Representatives auditing and investigating the gaming licensing process. In an unusual ruling, the Supreme Court found in favour of Segob, confirming reports that the circumstances of the approval of gaming regulations to the outdated law was fuelled by political interest from the former president and his minister.

In view of this, Ernesto Cerda Serna, leader of political group Convergencia has filed criminal charges at the Attorney General's Office against Roberto Correa Mendez, Gaming Comission director at Segob and Adalberto Madero Quiroga, Mayor of Monterrey City, where illegal casinos have mushroomed during the past two years. Cerda Serna has named numerous gaming establishments, which according to his investigation do not have a gaming licence to operate.

The Convergencia leader said that one of his investigation units, posing as casino operators, was asked to pay US$2.6 million for a casino licence in Monterrey, and accuses both the mayor and the Segob official of criminal offences. Cerda Serna added that his party is in favour of gambling, but licensing must be according to the law, and a casino law should be approved immediately to stop political parties from cashing in on gaming licences to finance their TV campaigns. (E-12.20.07)

© Copyright 2007 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage