In a recent newspaper interview in Mexico the president of the Association of Gaming Licence Holders (Asociación de Permisionarios de Juegos y Sorteos), Alfonso Pérez Lizaur, commented that casino revenue in 2008 was US$2.1 billion. Over the first three months of 2009 the casinos reported tax payments of US$15.3 million – Mexican casinos pay 20% of revenue to the government in addition to the usual business taxes.

The 24 businesses registered with government agency Segob (Secretaría de Gobernación) operate 218 remote betting venues, where bets are taken on sporting events happening elsewhere, and 190 slots rooms with the traditional machines designated Class II in the US. The leader in this business is Grupo Caliente, the company of Jorge Hank Rhon, with 157 venues. Next largest is Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE), which operates 86 venues under the Sports Book and Yak brands.

The television transnational Televisa runs 44 centres under its Apuestas Internacionales subsidiary and the brothers Arturo and Juan José Rojas Cardona operate 28 betting centres, including Bella Vista, Las Palmas and Sportzone. Between them these four Mexican gaming companies operate nearly 80% of all the betting venues around the country, concentrated mainly in México City, Baja California, México State, Nuevo León and Jalisco.

Although the casino sector has suffered some setbacks with the closures due to the A(H1N1) virus, an average 1.5 million gamblers visit the gaming venues regularly, at least twice a month, and now spend around US$30 each visit. The present economic crisis has meant a 20% decrease in money spent on gambling. (E-08.06.09)

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