After the Sub-Commission of Tourist Infrastructure & Development, for the Tourism Commission of the Mexican House of Representatives, unanimously approved the proposed project to allow the installation and operation of casinos on national territory, the Representative Javier Bravo Carbajal presented it to the Tourism Commission where the Commission will assess it for Constitutional Law as well.

The Sub-Commission has endorsed the proposal that now includes several important changes to the initiative that was presented April 29, 2004 by 247 Federal Representatives at the 59th Legislature. There are strong anti money laundering clauses and a fund to combat problem gambling, amongst others. President of the Tourism Committee, Francisco López Mena has said that his committee will meet October 5 to revise the proposal, and to formalize a full committee meeting date for the final vote.

It seems that there are plans to hold a preliminary meeting on October 13 to evaluate the results of the national consultations that have been taking place over the last few months in order to make them public and to share the results with those that have taken part in the process.

Although the reason for allowing the installation of casinos was to modernize and diversify national tourism the Representative Fernando Alvarez Monje of the Government Commission declared that not only would casinos benefit tourism but also that they would create employment and the creation of peripheral businesses serving the industry.

If the gaming law proposal proceeds through the Mexican system of decrees, and reforms are made to permit gaming activity in the country, then it should get on to the Government’s agenda for the present session of parliament. As the Sub-Commission of Tourism has already approved the proposal, the vote to allow casinos in Mexico may well be won.

At present it is considered that casinos will be limited to tourist areas and not permitted in metropolitan areas such as Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. However, the Alvarez Monje criteria may be adapted to make casinos not exclusively a tourist destination for beaches and spas but also a wider part of the traditional commercial tourist trade throughout Mexico. As in countries such as France, Holland, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, and the UK after deregulation, that way the benefits brought by a casino industry, primarily in jobs, would be felt the length and breadth of Mexico.

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